The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-24
Working Men Are Applying the Principles of Gen.
 eral Strike
IBERIAN PENINSULA
 IS IN STATE OF WAR
Rising Bank Rates and Declining Gov ernment Securities Show Serious ness With Which Situa-
 ton Is Regarded

 movement of unrest in Europe, such as has not been heretofore experienced in the present generation, reveals the fact that in every case socialist agitation or a revolt against the fast increasing cost of living is at the bottom of the disturb ance.
 Everywhere there is evidence that work Ing men are applying the principles of a general strike which has so long been preached by socialist agitators.
 Rising bank rates and declining gov srrment securities show the seriousness with which the situation is regarded in financial quarters. British consols, which have been gradually falling off for months, have established a new low rec ord of 76 and fraction. French, Ger man and. other continental government securities tell the same story. The most litical condition at the present moment undoubtedly exists in Spain, Despite the temporarily soothing reports that are be- ing sent out over censored wires there Is every evidence that the revolutionaries have strong hopes of overthrowing the monarchy While the Spanish uprising has been fostered for months by social ists and revolutionists, they would not have achieved their present success had It not been for general dissatisfaction due to the war upon which the govern ment has embarked In Morocco.
 Socialists Intervention
 In an interview in Paris with an inter- national socialist leader, published in to- days Pal Mall Gazette. quotes him as saying:
 We have secret information. notwith- standing the censorship. of the progress of the movement. It is most inspiring from our point of view If it does not succeed now 1t certainly will in six months or year The war wss the last effort of the present regime. It has poured half of Spain's available army into Morocco. Forty-fve thousand troops have gone upon this ridiculous expedition and the remainder will find difficulty m coping with movement so universal as the present. In the meantime his majes- ty occupies himself. with sport and the Kingdom is really directed by his mother and tutor, that is to say, by Jesuits. The
 
 Todays news from Ovido states that the strike continues general in all .n- dustries except the government rife fac tory. Martial law is still in force through out the peninsula. 5a The Spanish troops in Morocco mean while are experiencing real fighting The last report Is that ITO were lost in a bat tle near Millill and several engagements have been fought in that vicinity, in all nf xrl,; ;cl ha Sna nfcl, considerable. Censored news from Lis- bon intimates that a battle has been fought between Portuguese royalsts who had gathered on Spanish soil and en- deavored to cross the border and Portu- guese government troops. Apparently the royalists were driven back.
 Situation in Portugal
 The Portuguese royalists are well sup piled with money, but suffered severe blow when their three ships loaded with guns and ammunition were recently seized by the British government.
 If will be thus seen that the entire Iber- Ian peninsula is in a virtual condition of war, with the forces of democracy or so- against the forces of monarchy on the other Taking the countries of Europe in turn, we find France expressing riots by the use of her military, and Austria and Hun gary similarly stirred by the rlotous spirit of unrest which has been put down for the time being by stern measures.
 Today's news from Vienna reports the number of police injured in last Sun days rioting as 119, and several deaths have resulted. Here, as in France the disturbances were directly traceable 10 the higher cost of food, coupled with the socialstIc agitation which is being sys- tematically carried on by the internation- al organization. ,-f 5t
 The recent dry hot summer, in which a continued drouth prevailed for nearly two months. has been potent factor, the crops having been failure throughout the larger part of Europe. with the nat ural result that vegetables and meat have fetched prices unparalled. unpayable by the working classes. whose normal wages are not over 5 weekly.
 Germany Suffering Least
 Germany is suffering the least from labor disturbances Of all the large Eu- ropean states for despite fina ncial panics and a bank rate advance during the past week from { to 5 per cent. business has continued good and wages, compared with the, other old World countries. have remained high.
 Nevertheless. nowhere else is social. ism making Sucn SenSatiOnai neddW way as in Germany. Fois instance, in bye election at Dusseldorf ythis week tie socialists polled 34.673 votes, an in crease of s100 over 1so7 and many now figure on the probability of cap turing a section which has been a Catholic ever since the foundation Of the empire.
 Advices from. Russia are toF the ef- feet that tho assassination of Stolypit was the first act in series of such crimes planned for the, next two years in the hope of bringing about sec- ond reign of terror
 Trouble in Norway S
 In Norway the army has become per- meated with socialism to such an ex- tent that there is serious discussion in the press of disbanding it. Mutinies continue despite the severe sentences which were imposed this week upon soldiers who led the recent revolt against the officers f
 Belgium, not to be outdonc by her larger rivals in the war game, which is another disturbing element, has been making herculean efforts on the Ger man frontier for several weeks 10 be prepared against German invasion.
 All agreed that the Moroccan affair
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