Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-04-25
MOTIVES BACK OF WIDESPREAD
STRIKE OF BELGIAN WORKMEN
Situation Gave Officials Lit
tie Concern at First, but
Soon Grew Serious.

telegraph wires In the vicinity.
The potteries In the Client neighboT-
hood were all silent, but in the linen
and cotton mills something more than
half the hands remained at work, ex-
cept in two cases, where all quit. The
metal workers also went out, but a few
cement mixers continued work.
The strike, which had appeared not
TO affect Antwerp in any way early in
the morning, set in during the fore
noon, when there was partial suspen-
sion of work by the dock laborers. The
movement also extended to other
branches.
The stoppage OF work at Journal
was only partial in the quarries and
coal mines. while at the factories near
~ the full complement of workers
went into the shops.
Growth of the Strike.
The full force of the strike was not
felt at Antwerp for the reason that the
steamship companies, forewarned, d.
verted so much of their shipping to
other-cities that there was little work
TO do at the Antwerp docks. The
strikers also adopted similar plan
in advance. all of them saving funds
and provisions and those who could af-
ford to do so sending their families to
France or other countries for time.
By the evening of the third day the
officials admitted that the strike was
spreading and that at least 10000 men
were idle. Some estimates put the
number as high as 100000. Premier
Broqueville. speaking in the parlla-
ment Mt Brussels, put the number at
$4,000. Estimates of conservative
journals reduced the total to a few
hundred less than 100000.
More than 10000 strikers surround
ed the national hall of legislation, bnt
there was no violence. Several hun
dred paraded the capital without police
interference.
In answer to Socialist and Liberal
attacks in the chamber the premier de-
clared that the government could not
yield to threats. When Liberal dep
uty proposed national referendum on
constitutional revision the premier
said:
When quiet is restored the govern
mant will be at your disposal to study
out the question"
Bruges Workers Quit.
The dock strike spread to Bruges,
and 200 men loading the German
steamer Wiegand stopped work. The
Bruges manufacturers posted notices
calling attention to the impossibility
of filing the orders on hand, as their
worzmen We're on strike. They point
ed out that no new orders were com.
ing in and that many of their custom.
ers We're placing their orders abroad,
thus adding to the dislocation of indus
try and increasing the loss caused by
the strike both to employee and en-
ployer.
At Antwerp the dock strike extended
to coal unloaders at the Central basins.
The burgomaster predicted that work
at the port would be at a complete
standstill in a few days for lack of
freights> The arrivals of cereals, tim
Der and similar cargo at the railroad
freight depot rapidly became scarcer.
A band of women gathered in front OF
the Socialist cooperative storehouse.
protesting against work being per-
formed there during the strike. The
police dispersed them.
At Client 1900 more men Joined the
strike, bringing the total there to 49,
600, of whom 5000 marched In the
streets. There was no disorder
OF the 20s,000 workmen in the prov
inces of Hainault and Namur 10000
walked out. according to officials.
Violence Reported.
The promise of the leaders to carry
on peaceable strike was not kept be-
cause of the refusal of the workmen
in some districts to obey orders. On
the fourth day of the walkout bands
of young men went through the work
mems residential district in Seraing.
breaking windows in the homes of men
who had refused to quit work.
Other bands occupied the roads lead
ing to the city and stopped gangs OF
men who were entering the city from
outlying villages with the intention of
going to work.
Even when acts of violence were re-
ported in Brussels the government OBJ
stinately refused to yield to the So.
cialists demands. The police had a
bard time in the suburbs of Brussels.
where strikers bought nippers and
rubber gloves with the intention of
cutting wires and wrecking electrical
machinery.
The seriousness of the situation be-
came apparent when officials an
nounced that they were almost out
of coal and that the stopping of rail
road transportation and the shutting
down of gus and electric plants seemed
inevitable.
Facing this extremity, however. the
government refused to yield. To all
proposals of national referendum on
constitutional raN-iSiap tho nrpnIipT