Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-08
STRIKERS IN EUROPE

CJntNLNO HN LOItNt -
i8xTRAcTs FROM BOOKER Z.
WASH,NcroN's sFoRTHc oMiNo
y Dook THE NAN FARTAEsr
a DOWN.
There 10 one English word which
seems to be more widely known aud
used IN Europe than almost any other.
Il IL the word Strike Labor strikes,
/ have understood, had their origin
With the factory system In England.
But the people on the continent have
improved on the original English de-
vice, and have found ways Of using It
Of which We, In America. At any rate,
have rarely ever heard,
II seems to me that during my short
Il Journey on the continent. ! heard OF
more kinds Of strikes, and learned
more about the different ways In
which this form Of warfare can be
used than I ever learned before In all
my life. In Europe one hears, for ex-
ample, Of political strikes, Of general
strikes, and OF agricultural strikes,
which are q peculiar and interesting
variety Of the ordinary labor strikes.
4 There are rent strikes, hunger riots,
strikes OF students, even Of legisla-
lures, and when was in Budapest.
!, someone called my attention 10 an ac-
count In one Of the papers OF what
was called q house strike" This was
the case III which the tenants OF one
OF the large tenement buildings OF
apartment houses OF the city had gone
ON strike to compel the landlord to
reduce the rent. They had hung the
landlord In efigy in the big central
court around which the building is
erected. decorated the walls and bal
comics with scurrilous placards and
then created such q disturbance by
their jeers and outcries, supplemented
with nsh horns. that the whole neigh
borhood was reused. The house strik-
ers took this way to advertise their
grievances, gain public sympathy and
secure reduction OF the rent.
had an opportunity, during my
stay In Europe to get some flrst-hand
information in regard to the manner
or these continental strikes. ! was In
Berlin just before and after the three
days battle between the striking coal
yard men OF Moabit and the police. In
the course Of which several Of the Of
ncers and hundreds Of the people were
wounded. For several days, one sec
ton OF Berlin was practically In 9
state Of siege. The police charged
the crowd with their horses, trampled
the people under foot, and cut them
down with their swords. The soldiers
hunted the strikers into the neighbor-
ing houses. where they attempted to
barricade themselves and replied to
the attacks OF the police by hurting
missiles from the windows Of the
houses into the streets below. At
night the streets we're in darkness
The strikers had cut the electric
wires. thus shutting OF the lights so
that the police were compelled to
carry torches In order to distinguish
friends from foes.
AT another time. while was in
Fiume, Hungary, had an opportunity
to see for myself the manner and
spirit In which these strikes are con-
Quoted, or rather the way In which:
they are put down BY the police.
h I had gone out one day to visit the
immigrant station, which is situated |
ON the outskirts Of the city. and no
ticed, on my way thither, number Of
policemen on the car. Then apparent
IL at q signal from man In charge,
they seemed to melt away. Half an
hour later, while was at the immi-
grant station, l was startled by loud
cries outside the building. Everyone
rushed to the windows The street
was crowded with men, women and
children, all running helter SHELTER in
the direction Of the city. Some OF
the hands In q nearby factory, ! was
told, had gone on strike. could not
1T frst understand, however, why
everybody seemed In such q state OF
terror. Very soon learned they were
running from the police. and mo-
ment later the police Themselves
moved into view. u,
II They were formed in broad line
across the avenue, and marching rap
idly. simply swept everything before
them. AT their head. bearing heavy
cane, was 4 man III plain clothes.
do not know whether he was an ON
Ger or the proprietor Of the factory,
but was struck by the naughty con-
tempt with which he surveyed the rab-
BILE. as 1t melted away from In front
Of him. In Z few minutes the street
was empty and. 10 far a. could see.
tho strike was over. II
1t was small AFFAIR IN any case.
There was no bloodshed and almost
no resistance on the part Of the strik-
err, so far rs l could see. It was suf-
ficient, however, to give me q very
vivid notion Of the ruthless way in
which the governments OF these stern
military powers deal with rebellious
.laborers. European governments seem
to have the habit Of interfering, in
way OF which we have no conception
In this country, In all the small and
intimate affairs OF life. So It was
not to be expected that they would
be able. as the police In this country,
to act Al = neutral party or refuse to
take part in the struggles az we say,
iof labor and capital. That Is the rea-
son, suspect, why IN Europe
strikes almost always turn out to be
i battle with the police or an insur-
rection against the government.