The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-21

when the chamber reassembles to-
morrow. The socialist national con-
VentiOn meets on Wednesday to dis
cusS the situation.
Acts of violence continue to be rare
and are in most cases attributed to
other causes than the strike. A large
number of telegraph poles and wires
have been cut however, and the min
lister of war has notified all the own
eFs of carrier pigeons that he will
commander the birds for military
purposes in case of necessity.
The printers strike in Brussels has
scarcely affected any of the newspa-
pers except the two socialist organs
and the Petit Bleu, whose proprietor
has subscribed $4,000 to the general
strike fund.
Opinion Favors Compromise.
The opinion now is gen
at the session of the chamber of depu-
ties Tuesday the government will be
prepared to accept the conciliatory
motion of the Liberal leader, M. Mas
son. This provides that if the parlia-
mentary committee appointed recently
to consider the reform of the pro-
vincial and communal franchise sys-
tenn evolves a plan which appears to
be a manifest Improvement on the
present methods, then the adViSability
of revisi-g parliamentary elections
along the same lines shall Immediate
ly be considered
3 Inc a0OpJlOn OF In1S mOC1On Dy the
chamber would mean the end of the
strike which is .paralyzing Belgium'S
industries strike which, judging
from present indications, has not
reached anything like high water
mark.
There is no doubt that the situation
will be very grave if the government
refuses to accept a compromise at the
coming session of the chamber. 1t is
questionable whether the leaders will
then be able to hold the strikers.
Already the strike has caused great
losses to Belgium'S industries, about
rs per cent of which have to do with
export. Leading business men say that
most of this has now gone abroad and
that it is their experience that it will
not easily come back. The same con-
dition applies to the collieries, which
are losing more than $500, 600 daily.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, Belgium, April
1.-Two Belgium soldiers who were on
guard at a steel mill protecting the
property against the possibility of an
attack by strikers, left their posts to-
day carrying their rifles with them.
They were pursued by a military
patrol which was about to capture
them when both deserters fired, kill
ing one of the pursuers. The pair then
escaped into the adjacent forest.
All the troops in the garrison were
Immediately drawn off from strike duty
and sent in search of the fugitives.
Bainelecomte, April 21.-The mayor of
this town has subscribed s1Oo daily to
the strike fund.
Lalouviere, Belgium, April 21.-A few
coal miners descended the pits here
today but the suspension of work was
complete at the metal foundries and
quarries and business is at a stand
still throughout the district.
Ninove, Belgium, April pa passen-
ger train was wrecked today near here
by boulders which had been piled on
the track at a sharp curve, Is persons
were badly injured. The occurrence
was at first attributed to the striking
textile workers but it was later dis
covered that the rocks had been placed
on the track by two mischievous boys.
They were arrested.
Liege, April PA detachment of the
civil guard called out for the preser-
walton of order this morning cheered
a gathering here. The local police ex-
postulated upon which the guardsmen
shouted even louder, "Hurrah for the
strike much to the scandal of the
authorities and to the amusement of
huge body of strikers. The guards
men were later persuaded to return to
their homes after being dismissed
from duty.