Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/305

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BBBOB 289 EBZEBTJH

with 6,632 pui^ils, and 1 orphanage with 12 orphans. He endeavored to arrange terms of peace with

The Mar Louis Memorial rrcBB, which prints oooks Belgium and at least stopped the deportation of

in Malayalam, English, and Latin, was lately started Belgians. He was a bitter opponent of the U-boat

in honor of the late Bishop Pareparambil. 'The wanare, but once it was decided upon he multiplied

Emakulum Mission, a diocesan gazette, contains the ships with amazing rapidity. Li 1918 van

the pastoral letters of the bishop as weU as items Capelle announced the failure of the submarines

of interest regarding the history and work of the ana when Erzberger let it be known to the public

mission. A Society for the Propagation of the he so exasperated the army leaders that he nar-

Faith has lately been ommized. as well as the St. rowl^ escaped inoprisonment. Joseph's Provident Fund, for the benefit of aged His connection with the Peace Resolutions of

and infirm clergy. The Syro-Chaldaic CarmeBte 1917 brought him into the greatest discredit and

Congregation of Malabar has 4 convents and 41 evoked a new storm on the part of the Junkers.

meim>ei8 attached to this vicariate. All the 'German authorities were agreed that hos-


(Cf

about the


^r^h^t^nnl^™'^,^ nr^'^^hU^^orio'^H^l^ mentariaDB to that view, and a jJeace resolution

or about ones own act or anothers notorious act. introduced in the Reichstag, but it aroused

A rescript containing an error as to the name of the ^^^1, indignation that Er«berger%ame near being

grantor pr grantee, or of the place, or of the thing ^^^^ j » ^^y^ ^ j^ j^^ conadereS

m question » not v^d, if the ordinary judgM that ^^ «^ ^^Kj ^ demagogue." Count von

there. 18 no doubt about the identity of the person HerUing. his feUow^atholic aid coUeague. treated

^«^;.„l*^rX^tv ff L,mU™^^* an ^rrnr ^'^ ^""^ contempt, but his chief enlmies were

SJ^fK^HL^^^^ J Id l^?finn^r!^« ^ *»»« ^'^^^ P^^y. To LudendorfF he was "the

aUut the degr^ occurred m the petition or con- ^ unspeakable of German traitors; the Ethio-

oession, provided the real degree was. more remote. _.• _ „i,„il _„ „_,uu,„„ ^„„m „..h ^hit^ »


consent ican. iom;. ^^ formed and Erzberger appeared again in pubUc

Erythwa, Vicariate Apostolic op. See Eritrka. jj^® as a minister. Finally, on 26 October, Luden-

dorfl gave up his command, and a Commission with

Snberger, Matthias, statesman and publicist, b. Erzberger as its spokesman was formed to negotiate in the village of Buttenhausen, Wiirtemberg, 20 with the Allies. The Commission met Marshal September, 1875; murdered by his political ene- Foch at Compile on 7 November, but Foch mies at Griesbach in the Black Forest on 26 August, had nothing to offer except what Erzberger con- 1921. His father was a teacher in the village school, sidered "inhuman conditions." During the discus- and Matthias determined to follow in his father's sions, news of the Kaiser's abdication arrived; the footsteps. After two years in a training coUege Red Flag had appeared at Berlin, and Erzberger he began his work as a pedagogue at nineteen, went back to a chaotic Germany beaten. When but two years later he was at the university in at last the German delegates went to Versailles Fribourg studying law and ecdhomics, only to be and were presented with the conditions they were engrossed soon in /journalism and politics, editing struck mute with amazement. At Weimar, Erz- the Deutschen Volksblatt" from 1896 to 1903, when berger was the only minister who would sign them. he was elected a member of the Center Party The Reichstag was therefore dissolved, and a new as a representative from Wiirtemberg. In 1908 Government consisting of Social Democrats and he removed to Berlin and took up the editorship the Centre was callea into existence and agreed of some of the official publications of the Center, to sign the treaty. It aroused the country and that His extraordinary talents immediately made him night an attempt was made to murder Erzberger; a leading figure m the Reichstag. His friends and a few nights later a bomb was thrown into his enemies called him a living volcano," because bedroom; a third attempt equally unsuccessful of the active perfervid energy he created around was made later.

him by the vastness of the interest in which he In the new Cabinet he was Minister of Finance was concerned, his abnormal power of rapidly grasp- and succeeded in amazing many of the capitalists ing a situation in all its aspects, combined with by his attack on war profits and his imposition of a remarkable fluency and facility in expressixijg a heavy tax on the rich. Those affected then began his views. He was quick and certain in his deci- to attack his private character, which was irre- sions^ fearless in facing difficulties, and confident proachable, for he was a most practical Catholic, in the ultimate success of his plans. He kept the Finally he met his death, as we have already House in perpetual amazement at the extent and said, in the Black Forest at Griesbach on 26 August, diversity of his knowledge, but he is credited with 1921. He had received Holy Communion that having thrown the Center into confusion by his morning. The general consensus about him is that vanity and overbearing manner as well as his "he was one of most gifted men of his time, but utter disregard for discipline. He quarreled with that most of his schemes ended in failure. The its leader. Dr. Spahn. reason is that he talked too much. He claimed to

At the De^nnin^ of the war, he was sure of vie- be a specialist in every branch and was regarded toiy and vied with the most ambitious Junkers as being a specialist in none. Incessant ainns of in fixing the boundaries of the New Germany, his opinions caused him to be regarded as a bab- Three years later, he had shifted completely around, bier. That he meant well for nis country can and he began a S3r8tem of German Propaganda in scarcely be doubted. That his death was a gain the neutral countries and in Rome. He inter- or loss for Germany is a matter for future specu- fered in army affsdrs and Ludendorff denounced lation." him as "a burdensome bwbody." His political

activities in connection with the Orient, Alsace- Srsemm (or Garin), Diocbsb or (Erzcbx7Mibn8I8 Lorraine, Poland, and Italy all ended in failure. Armbnorum), Armenia, Asia Minor, a diocese of