New-York tribune., 1918-02-02
f1ertlnng Refuses
To Meet Workers
Laborers at Danzie
Also Out; Thrones
Battle the Police:
Many Hurt

LONDON, Feb. 1.-The commander
in chief of the Brandenburr district of
Germany, which includes Berlin. has
dissolved the Council of Five Hundred
appointed by the striking workmen to
watch over their interests during the
strike, according to direct advices from
Berlin to-day
The dispatch adds that the com
mander also has prohibited the ap
polntment Of any organization for di-
rectng the strike movement and has is-
sued a warning to the population
against disturbances.
The proclamation issued by the com
mander follows:
Having now introduced NOR.
drastic state Of siege, | shall not have
the population in doubt that I intend
10 suppress every attempt to disturb
peace and order with all means at nv
disposal. l, therefore, warn every
orderly citizen not to take part in anv
way in public meetings. Every one
must quietly carry out his duties and
keep away from crowds If arms have
to be used, 10 distinction can be made
between distucoers of order and those
who are not -aking part in such dis
turbances.
Strikers and Police Clash
There was a clash between strikers
and the police in the northwestern
part of Berlin Thursday, according to
other Amsterdam dispatches. One po-
liceman was killed and a dozen strikers
were injured. There were minor disturb
ances in other sections and in the sub
urbs Of Berlin.
One dispatch says that the Orenstein
and Koppel Locomotive Works en-
ployes have Joined the strike move
ment.
A semi official statement issued IN
Berlin, and dated Friday, says that the
eXcesses committed Thursday caused
the government to take the necessary
measures against a further extension
of the strike. These measures at once
were put into effect and the strike
Gees not appear to be increasing.
The 'Norwaerts," the Socialist or
gan, which was suppressed three days
ago, appeared again Friday. In the
city, street traffic and other civic ac-
tivlties show no unusual features. The
partial strikes at Dortmund and HOLE
have ended.
The German press generally agrees
that the outbreak has reached its eli
max in Berlin and is now receding.
The demonstrations are said to show
lack of centralized control.
ReDOrtS from the Shief irJur+r;.l
sections of Germany indicate that the
strike movement nowhere is finding
the support necessary TO carry it along
The latest kilograms received in
Copenhagen from Berlin report the
situation as unchanged, says an Ex-
change Telegraph dispatch from the
Danish capital. The strike has not
been extended.
The "Berliner Tageblatt' reports
that the police seized the trade union
building in Berlin and arrested Deputy
Kocrsten and other leaders
Three-day Strike in Munich
A three days strike has been de
clared in Munich, according to Cen
tral News dispatch from Amsterdam
to-day.
The actual situation Thursday s ex-
tremely vague. The scarcity of news
induces some correspondents in Hol-
land to assume that the situation has
! grown worse. but they warn against
attaching Importance to the strike
movement as far as the army is CON
cerned.
The Berne correspondent Of "The
DAILY Mall deprecates too ready as
sumption that the strike will have
serious effects in Germany. He SAYS
no strike or revolt in Prussia can be
taken seriously until it has won its
spurs.
Newspaper opinion in London re
! garding the strike is divergent. Some
/ papers incline TO the belief that tho
strike really denotes the growing
! strength Of a democratic spirit in Ger
many, while others favor the view that
the whole thing to great extent has
been engineered by the government for
It's own purposes.
See Spread of Revolution
The Daily News" while accepting
with reserve the more extravagant &C
counts, thinks it is obvious that there
has been spread into Germany and
Austria some measure Of the spirit
which dethroned the Russian Emperor
II adds:
The tide for which President Will
/ son has so long and so patiently Gu.
! the channel is beginning to flow al
last. cleavage between the German
people and their rulers stands revealed.
but as yet the cleavage is no more than
an incipient one"
On the other hand. The Daily Mail"
argues that if revolution is talked
about IN Germany, it is because the
German government wants it to be
talked about. 1t says that it is virtually
true that no strike can happen there
IN war time unless the government
sees profit in it. The Daily Nail" re-
CARDS the movement as really an ap-
peal to British and French workmen
to strike. and says that if the appeal
! succeeded, the Germans would imms.