New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-14
BELGIUM ON THE EVE
OF HER BIGGEST STRIKE
Soldiers MaSSed at All Strateuic
Points-SoCiaIiStS Organize
for Public Aid.
SABOTAGE" NEAR MONS
Thousands of Women and Chill.
dren Sent Out of Country
To Be Out of Reach p
of Want.

Brussels, April 13.-Both sides %.
night are awaiting the beginning t.
morrow of the general strike 10 force
the government to grant manhood suf.
frage, the progress Of which will be
watched by the whole of Europe With
the deepest interest. Any estimate OF
will obey the summons to quit work
would be the merest conjecture, but Il
IS believed that at least 100000 men
will go out, and the aggregate possibly
may be stretched TO 100000 while Opt.
mistc Socialists put the figure at 5O0,-
600.
The respective forces have prepared
in every way possible for the strike.
The government has massed soldiers at
all strategic points in the kingdom, but
is keeping them out of sight as much
as is possible, and altogether is dis
playing a strong desire 10 avoid any,
thing that could be regarded as proyoc-
atiye.
The Socialist leaders have arranged
to entertain the strikers and assist
them with food when it is needed.
Client already has been divided into
four districts. in each of which soup
and bread will be disturbed. Among
other socialist devices to raise funds
for the strikers is TO be a sale of books
Of prose and poetry, TO which contribu-
tons Of stories and verse already have
been made by distinguished authors. in
Guiding Anatole France, Maurice
Maeterlinck and others.
Demonstrations in Antwerp.
Socialist demonstrations were held in
many cities of Belgium to-day.
No fewer than nine were conducted
in Antwerp. All of them passed off
without untoward incident
The most important meeting was ar
Mons, the centre Of the great mining
district. There the speakers were
Emile Vandervelde, leader Of the So
cialists, and NJ. Vandermissen. the
party's general secretary. The speak
ers appealed for an effective strike as a
collective protest against the party in
power, which had refused to consider
their request for manhood suffrage
The orators condemned violence and
pleaded for abstention from any acl
which could be seized upon 10 attribute
revolutionary motives TO the workers IN
striking
IF any comrede or any one else
wants 10 work" shouted ~ Wander
velde. "let them work. The Socialist
who is guilty of using violence I'm this
struggle is an enemy of the party. NJ
matter what the proyocation. no matter
how unjustly you are treated, remom-
Der the sacredness of our cause and en-
dure all for the sake Of Justice
In addition t. to-days speakers all
the leaders are warning tho workmen
against violence, and they believe their
commands will he obeyed. AS far as
can be judged the temper Of tho men,
though earnest. is calm. and their in
tentions undoubtedly are 10 avoid trou-
BILE. The government, however, IS TAX
ing no chances.
The transportation OF dynamite. Of
which thousands of tons are used in
the mines. has been prohibited. one
unreassurins report possibly portend-
ing trouble is that "A firearms dealer
has been doing brisk trade in the
sale of revolvers. one also must take
into account the possibility of irrcspon-
sible fanatics committing acts - yio-
lonce. What is probably an incident al
this latter kind was uncovered to-day
when an Internal machine containing
dynamite. with the fuse half burned.
was found on the veranda Of a manu-
facturer in the village Of Ledc, near
Brussels.
The steamer Lapland, which Is due
at Antwerp tomorrow from New
York. with a heavy cargo and 100
passengers. of whom one hundred are
in the first cabin. will be the first i'm
portant vessel TO be affected by the
strike. \ majority of the passengers
on the Lapland are Americans.
Thousands of women and children
have been sent out of the country py
the workmen SO that they may mol SUI
fer as a result of the strike.
Mons. April 13.-Seyeral acts OF
sabotage" are reported 10 have oc-
CURED here and in tho surrounding dis
trict to-day. These were notably the
-, ---.-... 1. ~, mimi. in gov