Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-14
STRIKE IN BELGIUM
BEGINS At DAWN
Vast Labor Movement Planned
by Socialist Trade Unions
Inaugurated Today.
MINES AND MILLS ARE
FIRST TO BE AFFECTED
Walkout Complete in Such Places
as Mining Districts-Scarcely Dis
cernible in Some Localities.

| BRUSSELS, April 14-The vast politica
| strike, planned by the Belgian socialist
trade unions, began at dawn today. The
| first workmen to take part In the move
| ment were the night shifts Of the mines
| and mills throughout the country. They
| left the various plants in charge of a few
| caretakers, told off by the socialist lead
| ers to keep the property from deteriOrat-
| ing. At least $4,000 men laid down their
| tools during the morning. There were
| numerous exceptions to the general walk
cut in many districts. however.
| The strike is complete in such places
as the mining districts, but is scarcely
discernible in some localities.
! In Brussels. itself. the strike must
| be looked for in order to be found.
Probably one-fourth of the workmen
| engaged in the suburban factories
did not report for work today.
The socialist committee here estimated
at IL o'clock that 10000 men had
| struck in the capital.
| Reports from the provinces tell of
partial or complete stoppage of work
at Liege. Charleroi, Mons. La Louviere
and smaller cities. At Mons there are
10000 strikers and at La Louviere
$4,000, most of them belonging to the
metal, carriage building and tobacco
| trades.
At the seaport of Antwerp the strike
did not appear until late In the day
and then affected only a part of the
dock laborers.
Liege District Miners Quit.
IGEGE. Belgium, April 14.-Work
ceased this morning in the greater num-
bar Of fI,o t~l, c&.So
| the surrounding suburbs 1t is estimated
| that only 1,4OO workmen remained at
| their machines. In the national arms
| factory at Herstel the strike was COM
| plete.
All the coal miners in this district have
| stopped work.
MONS, Belgium. April 14.-Of the 30 900
coal miners In this district, all have quit
their work except 1000, who are keeping
| the machinery running. All the machine
shops, potteries and other factories are
| idle.
QUIEVRAIN. Belgium. April H.
| Everything Is closed here. Half the
Workmen have gone over the frontier into
France to find temporary occupation.
CLIENT. Belgium, April 14.-The pot
teries in this neighborhood are all silent
today, but in the linen and cotton mills
| more than half the hands remained at
work The metal workers all went out
| but few cement mixers are still at
work.
Suspension at Charleroi Complete.
CHARLEROI, Belgium. April 14.-The
| suspension Of work at the coal mines in
this district was complete this morning.
Sufficient men remained at their posts to
keep the machinery in good order and the
pumps working.
The metal workers of the vicinity have
only partially quit their employment. but
/ 1t Is understood that tomorrow the re-
| mainder of the men in this trade will
lay down their tools.
LIE LOUVIERE, Belgium, April IA
The miners strike here was general this
morning. All the factories closed their
doors except a pottery, which was run
ming full force. The street cars were
operated as usual during the forenoon, as
the strike of the mOtormen and conduct
ors was timed to begin at o'clock this
evening. Some attempts were made early
today to cut telegraph wires in the
vicinity.
JOURNAL, Belgium. April 1.-the
stoppage of work here today was only
| partial in the quarries and coal mines.
AT the factories near the full compile
ment Of workers went into the shops
ANTWERP, Belgium April 14.-Al-
feet this port in any way this morning,
there was partial suspension of work
by the dock laborers later in the day
The movement also extended to other
branches.
Everything is quiet.