The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-21
lay HEAVY HAND
ON GERMAN LABOR
Authorities Ruthless in Suppress
sion Of General NUM-.
q tons Strike.
CONSUMPTION METHoDsuSED
Labor Journal Tells How Workers a
Brunswick Were 1ricked Into
Trouble, Then Sent to Pris-
on for Long Terms.

Amsterdam.-Details Of the Ger
man military authorities ruthless sup
preston Of an attempt at a general
strike in all the munitions factories OF
Germany last August, no particulars OF
which were allowed out of the country
1t 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 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 a few agitators, and
had been in preparation for long
time.
Consumption Methods Used.
1.-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. s'tr4 y tr
'"rhe 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 the
authorities. also that it was to exert
pressure on the employers to grant de-
mands which had been put forward
by the Metal Workers union. 1t was
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. 9I- '>,
"..'rlie number Of persons out on
strike in Brunswick the first day was
5000, which was increased the next
two days by female workers from the
jam and spinning factories. ~.
son the breaking out of the strike
the minister Of the interior summoned
the heads of the workman's commit
tees. They presented a 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 to es-
tablish labor Journal and. nonpunisl.
ment Of participants in the strike.
The minister would not discuss the
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 II,
against wiser counsels, 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 au-
thorlties would allow no assembly to
take place.
Meanwhile special military court
has been set up, working day and night.
The arrests and trials numbered more
than hundred and terms of impris-
onment up to ten mvnths were i'm.
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.
I'm 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 peone
and their organizations suffered most
severely. The negotiations on eco.
n0mic matters, which had been init.
ated with the munitions firms with
the cooperation of the war office, have
been suspended, and dissension has
been sOwn in the ranks Of labor"
Labor Comes High.
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