The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-04-10
lay heavy HAND
{ : ;ERMAN LABOR.
IS Ruthless in Suppress.
of General Muni.
: tions Strike.
CON ! 'TIoNMETAoDsusED
Labor Journal Tells How Workers at
Brunswick Were Tricked Into
Trouble, Then Sent to Prize
on for Long Terms.

ss0NNiSS suSIl SCuS ~ VTioe
on for Long Terms.
Amsterdam.-Detail of the Ger.
man military authorities ruthless sup
preston of an attempt at general
strike in all the munitions factories Of
Germany last August, no particulars Of
which were allowed out of the country
at the time, are published in the Jour.
nal Of the German Metal Workers.
In Brunswick, which is the only dis
trict particularized in the guarded
story published by the Journal, martial
law was Immediately put into force,
and both male and female strikers
were sentenced to imprisonment. 1T
will be a long time before labor in
Brunswick RECEIVERS from the wounds
received" says the writer of the arti-
Gle. His account of the strike is in
part as follows:
"The great international strike has
come to an end in Brunswick, and the
labor movement is richer by very
grievous experience. The strike was
brought out by few agitat0rs, and
had been in preparation for a long
time.
conscription Methods Used.
"The authorities in Brunswick in
deed knew more about the threatened
strike than the leaders Of the local
trade unions, who were unable to take
counter measures to protect the work.
! ing people.
| '"The most INSCRIPTIONS methods
were used to persuade the workers to
take part in the strike. Rumors were
put out to the effect that the strike
was for the purpose Of putting an end
to the control of food exercised by tho
authorities, also that 1t was to exert
pressure on the employers to grant de-
mands which had been put forward
by the Metal Workers union. It Wa1
also declared that not only in Ger.
many, but throughout the world, In
London, Paris and Petrograd, work
was to come to a standstill In order to
bring about peace.
'"The number Of persons out on
|
5000, which was increased the next
two days by female workers from the
jam and spinning factories.
"On the breaking out of the strike
the minister of the interior summoned
the heads of the workman's commit
tees. They presented series Of de-.
mands, including fair distribution Of
food, the eight-hour day, grant Of right
Of free assembly, introduction Of equal
direct voting, peace without annexa.
tions or indemnities, permission 10 es.
tablish labor journal and nonpunish.
ment of participants in the strike.
1.-THE minister would not discuss tho
demands. He stated that work must
be resumed the next morning (Friday)
or the matter would be referred to the
military command. He added that the
working people would suffer heavily If.
against wiser counsas, they persisted
in the strike. The strikers voted to
continue the strike.
"A few hours after this fateful deci.
sion had been taken the orders of the
military authorities were pasted up in
the streets. These required that work
should be resumed on Friday morning,
In default Of which strict conditions Of
martial law would be introduced.
! Special Military Court.
1.-THE instigators Of the strike were
the first to return to work, while the
mass Of the strikers gathered at their
meeting place, where, however, the all.
thorities would allow no assembly to
take place.
Meanwhile special military court
mas been set up, working day and night.
The arrests and trials numbered more
than a hundred and terms of impris.
onment up to ten months were Inn
posed. Workers between the ages Of
seventeen and forty.eight who were
subject to military service were
) brought under, military control and
were ordered to perform certain work.
for which they would receive only mil.
itary pay.
'In many families the father or
mother-in some, indeed, both parents
had been condemned to long terms
of imprisonment. We saw children in
charge Of grandparents, who mourned
in common the fate that had overtaken
them suddenly. Everything that could
be associated with the strikers was ad.
versely affected. The working people
and their organizations suffered most
severely. The negotiations on eco,
nomic matters. which had been initi,
ated with the munitions firms Will
the cooperation Of the war Office, have
been suspended. and dissension hal
been sown in the ranks of labor