Herr Scheideruann, the Socialist Premier, who had publicly declared that
the Peace Treaty was unacceptable, found on Thursday week that the Assembly would not support him in defying the Allies. The Roman Catholic or Centre Party, led by Herr Erzberger, declared itself for peace, and most of the , Socialists took the same line. Herr Scheidemann resigned office on Friday week. Count Broekdorff-Rantzau, the arrogant head of the German delegation at Versailles, followed him into retire- ment. On Saturday last Herr Bauer, a Socialist with strong Pan-German leanings, formed a new Ministry out of the old one, with Herr Erzberger as his Minister of Finance. He met the Assembly last Sunday and obtained a large majority for his pro- posal that the Government should sign the Treaty without "admitting that the German people is the author of the war" and without agreeing to the surrender of the ex-Kaiser and other German offenders for trial.
