New-York tribune., 1918-02-01
Early Peace Gist
Of All Demands
More Socialist Leaders
Are Arrested; Ship
yards at Kiel
Affected

LONDON. Jan 31.-AH dlspa:che.
received IN London this mogning show
that the strike menace in Germany in.
creased yesterday. even a seni-official
F telegram from Berlin saying sonly an
inconsidcrablc extension" took mare
More than 4 million workers ar.
now reported idle according 10 the
latest advices from neutral sources-
INDUSTRY IS near the point Of paraIy-
zaton, say these reports. Collisions
oet"een strikers and soldiers have
taken place IN some districts. while IN
olhers the troops are said 10 have re-
FUSED TO fire on the workers. Social
4st leaders have been arrested through
out the country, it is said Hamburg IS
reported under martial law.
lhe opinion prevails in some ousr-
ters m England that exaggerated ac-
counts Of the German strike have heer
circulated by the German government
IN order to influence the engineers on
the Clyde aud other centres in F.nq-
land, who have threatened to Law down
their tools unless the govcrnmcnt gave
satisfactory guarantees that il omen
peace negotiations. as we'll as the
pacifls-s in the Entente countries zen
orally. There must have been. and
still IS, very considerable stoppaSe
OF work In important war industries.
Strikes Spread 80 Provinces
The strike. which was begun in Ber-
in chiefly because of dissatisfaction
over the delay IN carrying out the
Prusslan franchise reform, has more
or less spread throughout the nrov-
lnccs, and. according. to a HAMBURG
SOCIALIST paper, state OF siege has
peen declared in that city and it's
vlclhlty where strikes have occurred
IN the Vulcan Shipbuilding Works and
'he plant OF Blohm & Noss.
The strikers committee. which VA,
formed in Berlin. with representatives
OF the two wings of the Socialist marty
as members OF it. has formulated car
'aln demands. But, generally speak,
ihg' an early peace without annexs-
uons or indemnities. as opposed to tho
fatheriand party agitation for the con-
unuance of the war. seems to be the
greatest desire of the workers Who
threatened rcpr.sais for the arrest Of
their leaders.
hese reprisals, according tc one re-
port hgVe already begun throughout.
the cou htry owing to The refusal OF
Herr Walraif. Minister Of the Interior
70 meet:the strikers. and his action in
gong 1Yto conference with Lieutenant.
General Won Stein. former Prussian
MINISTER of War and now commander
OF the home forces. possibly with a
view TO suppressing the strikes bv mill
tary force. has further aneered the
men and women. FOR the latter also in
many cases have gone out.
Deny Disturbances
Reuters Amsterdam correspondent,
says IN telegram. dated Thursday.
mat the strikes obviously represent the
situation IN the least sombre light.
The German semi official news agency
says the trouble Is stationary and that
no disturbances occurred during
Wednesday, that police Intervention
was needless and that work was partly
resumed IN several manufactures Of
greater Berlin. but that in other quar-
ters operations still were suspended.
IN the upper Slesian industrial
region. according TO this news agency.
the strike has gained virtually no
ground, and 1t adds that news from
the IRON and steel districts of the
Rhlneland and Westphalia also Is Of A
=
Is III full swing IN most OF the gov
ernment workshops. the news agency
concludes, the trades unions refusing
|" nave anything TO do with the strike
A dlspatch TO The Associated Press
rom Stockholm says that the German
strikes are largely due to scarcity of
TODD, quoting the "Svenska Dagblad-
cts Berlin correspondent This cor
respondent asserts that the people are
indignant over the expectation of -four
10 Austria and also over profiteering
and the Illegal procuring Of foodstuffs, =,
which fourshes despite the utmost ef-
forts Of the authorities
The strikes in Hamburg and KEEL
nave resolved themse selves INTO hunger
demonstrations. The extent of the
food protitcering in Berlin alone is
illustrated by report in the "Beriner
Iagebiatt" that fines imposed in the
-hoaplt trlmlnal Court N one day cx-
ceeded 100000 marks
According to a Berlin report re-
ceived through Copenhagen, Socialist
leaders from al, over Germany have
been summoned TO Berlin fof dis
cussion Of important home and foreign
political questions.
Among the items of news received to-
day are that the strike has now spread
to Munich. Bavaria, where The big
Mauser Armament Works are involved. /.
and that some of the printing works
engaged in the newspaper trade in Ber-
lin have struck
Berlin and Hamburg appear to ha
Germany. The Exchange telegram
correspondent at Copenhagen report.
that QO,00n persons. incl,ainn 81 mn