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LEFT EBERT 460 ECBATANA in 1870 was called to Leipzig as Pro- fessor of Egyptology. His visit to Egypt resulted in the discovery of the celebrated hieratic medical "Papyrus Ebers" which he published in 1875. His series of historical romances comprise in sequence: "An Egyptian Princess" (1864); "Uarda" (1877); "Homo Sum" (1878); "The Sisters" (1879); "The Emperor" (1880); "Serapis" (1885); "The Bride of the Nile" (1886); "Joshua" (1889) ; "Per Aspera" (1892) ; "Cleopatra" (1894); and "Eli fen," in verse (1888). He wrote several other historical novels; including ''The Burgo- master's Wife" (1881). He died near Munich, Bavaria, Aug. 8, 1898. EBEST, FRIEDBICH, President of the German Republic. During his youth he worked first as a harness maker and then as a tailor. He made sufficient money by these trades to purchase a printing establishment in Bremen, FRIEDRICH EBERT where he also wrote for the Socialist papers. In 1908 he became a member of the Reichstag, elected there by the Social Deiriocrats. His service as a member of that body was featured by his criticisms of the military budgets and by his conservatism in restraining revo- lutionary methods. When the war of 1914 came, he with the majority of his party, supported the Government, and even defended the unlimited submarine warfare. In 1916 he was chosen leader of the Socialist group in the Reichstag called the Majority Socialists, as dis- tinguished from the Minority Socialists who opposed the war. He was officially chosen as the national head of the Ma- jority Socialists at the Congress of that party which was held in Wiirzburg in 1917. Although supporting the Govern- ment,_ Ebert and his group did not fail to criticize it severely and on July 19, 1917, they sponsored the resolution of the Reichstag declaring for peace with- out annexations and indemnities. Ebert was one of the few prominent Germans who before November, 1918, realized the imminent defeat of the German arms. As early as July of that year he had demanded that the war cease. It was this foresight which caused Prince Max, the Imperial German Chancellor, to turn over his office to him, and when after a few days the office was suppressed, Ebert remained as the directing head of the Government in Berlin. The Inde- pendent Socialists and the Communists refused, however, to support his govern- ment and during 1919 Berl^Ti and many other German cities were •:• scenes of considerable street fighting. Ebert's government succeeded in quelling the re- volt and also in securing the election of a National Assembly to form a constitu- tion for Germany. In March of 1919 he was elected by that body President of the German Republic. Hardly had the Assembly adjourned when the new Gov- ernment was overthrown in 1920 by a coup d'etat engineered by some ex-army officers. Ebert and the other members of his government escaped from Berlin and succeeded in calling a general strike which in a few days compelled the mili- tarists to capitulate. Ebert and the Re- publican Government resumed sway in Berlin. EBRO (a'bro), a river in Spain, which has its source in the province of San- tander, about 25 miles S. of the Bay of Biscay, and after a 8. E. course of about 500 miles enters the Mediterranean. Its navigation is much interrupted by rapids and shoals, to avoid which a canal about 100 miles long has been constructed nearly parallel to its course. ECBATANA (ek-bat'a-na), the chief city or ancient metropolis of Media, the summer residence of the Median and Persian and afterward of the Parthian kings. It was a place of great splendor at an early period.. Its site can no