The Munich Treason Trials have ended tamely. Luden- dorff himself
is acquitted of the accusation of high treason for his part in the Hitler " Putsch " in November, 1922. Hitler and his lieutenants are found guilty and sentenced to varying periods of imprisonment in a fortress. It was made clear, however, that these sentences will not amount to more than six months' actual imprisonment, the remainder of the sentences being suspended. It is obvious that the trial had a completely political and not a legal issue. The facts were all along undisputed. Ludendorff, Hitler and their friends had unquestionably planned and half carried out a coup d'Etat with the object of overthrowing the Bavarian Government. The sentences passed by a court of that Government practically acknowledged that this was a laudable enterprise and offered no reason why the attempt should not be repeated. Unfortu- nately the whole trial can only be regarded as another symptom of the reactionary and militaristic wave of feeling which is passing over the Reich. The French deportations from the occupied area sent fifty thousand passionate Francophobe agitators into the rest of Germany. It is only too likely that the coming elections in Germany will show the consequences; and we can only hope that there will not also be a national move against a reparations settlement.
* * * *
Previous page
