United labor bulletin., 1913-01-30
TURKISH WAR
Causes Great Suffering in Ranks
of Union Labor in Servia.

Causes Great Suffering in Ranks
of Union Labor in Servia.
lished by the International Secretariat of
National Trade Union Centers, Carl Le-
glen, International Secretary
The International Secretariat of Ma
uonal Trade Union Centres. of which
MI c. Legien. Berlin, Germany. is the
secretary. has just issued an appeal for
the support of the trades unions of Ser
via and Bulgaria, in order that these
may De able to preserve their labor tenn
pies, their press. and further assist the
families of members who have been hard
nit oy the war Mr.. G. Pawlowitsch.
secretary OF the Servian unions. in his
letter to the International Secretariat
points out that the work of many wears
VIII be lost if no help comes. Excen-
tional demands are now made upon the
trades unions. while the sources of in
come are absolutely dried up. Mr.. Dim
ltron, the secretary of a BULGARIAN GEN.
tire, reports at length on the efYects ~
the war. His article is very instructive
ior all workers and is given hereunder-
OWlng TO the strict censorship in this
country, which affects also private cor
respondence, l regret very much that I
am unable to present my foreign com
raoes very clear picture of the posi-
tion mere. l cannot give all the facts
anu reahues to this end. Nor can / in
form them of the probable conseouences
as affecting the fighting proletariat tbe
war will bring about
On the 30th of September the order
was given for the mobilization of all the
armeu forces throughout the land and
on the 18th of October was operations
were commenced against the Turks. All
VINO mad served in the army and had nor
on the issue of the order completed their
'Iorty-slxth year were called to the colors
All recruits who would have been called
up IN 1913 were enlisted. Similar proyis-
ions were made for those who were m
oer oohgauon to serve in 1914 to be sunl-
moned before the attestation Committees
ana attested for service Macedonians
hNlng In Bulgaria were compeIled 70
serve IN the Macedonian volunteer corns
Oniy those who had not reached the age
OF eighteen were free from comnnlsorv
military service. To the elder msn tai,
tne duty OF guarding magazines. some h.
ihs attached to the Red Cross contine.
ents. employees at the post office rels-
graph offices, likewise the workers Of rha
state-owned colliery and RAILWAYS wsrs
placed under military control. though no,
enhsted for service, so as to insure their
of the war sAiAe
The means of production and all entsr.
prises were. after the first few d,vs 81
the mobilization, badly affected and oni.
e.eo down. Everything was prepared for
.ne army exclusively. All tailors. shoe
makers. loiners and blacksmiths who had
not oeen called to the colors. and aIso
workmen, were obliged to labor in tho
WORKSHOPS of the Army Purveyors com
their keep. 'onis
In the different towns the workme,,s
clubs and meeting rooms were tnrnsS
INTO workshops and factories for the mil
itary authorities, into magazines ana
hospitals. anu
Al the same time as the order for mo-
oli1auon. came decree which pro-
CLAIMED a state of siege throughout the
land and also the strictest censure Of
tne press and private correspondence.
fri'ate talks in public places even were
cehsured Meetings were forbidden. And
as the labor papers should not disturh
the efforts made by the bourgeois press
TO engineer an outburst of patriotism the
authorities suspended the publication of
our political and trade union papers.
In such circumstances all activity in
our organizations is suspended 1t has
become impossible for them to fulfill
their tasks. They are all the more un-
about 10000 social democratic trade
union members. only 500 at the most
not counting the railway. post office and
telegraph employes-remain at home.
and these are expecting to lose their en-
ployment daily: in fact. most of them
are out of work at the present time al
ready.
To the Bulgarian trade unions falls the
lot of providing for the organized work
men and women. and those whose hus-
bands or sons are on the field OF battle
The desperate misery in which the work.
ers and their families live is indescribc-
able. Their lot is ever harder and less
bearable. one the one hand from the ex-
traordinary increase in the price of pro-
visions. and on the other hand through
the approach of the pitiless winter.
From the following few details one will
be able to picture the inhuman way in
which the workers families. whose bread
winners pour out their blood on the bat
tie field, are plundered.
sack of grants kilo-which was
sold for 20 francs before the mobilization
costs today 40 francs. In the same ratio
all other necessaries OF life. including
Continued on page 81