Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-02-01
THOUSANDS JOIN
STRIKE N BERLIN;
PEACE DEMANDED
100000 Workers Send Ulti-
matum to Government.
ORGANIZED UNDER SOCIALISTS
Ask End of War Without Indemnities
or Annexations-Mi of In
terror Seeks Aid Of War Chief
Washington Receives Of
fetal Confirmation of
Strike.

Washington, Jan. 31.-The state de-
partment announced that it had re-
ceived ''official confirmation" that at
least 10000 laborers were on strike
in Berlin. Asked if reported condi-
tons in Germany were possibly camou-
fiage, state department officials re-
piled: I'VE do not know
100000 on Strike.
London, Jan. 31.-The Berlin cOrre-
spondent of the Politiken of Copen-
hagen reports that the strikers have
formed worknen's council of 500,
with an action commission of ten
mtn and women, including Hugo
Haase, the independent socialist lead
er, and Philip Scheidemann, the ma
jority socialist leader.
This action followed the swelling of
the ranks of the strikers In Berlin to
100000. with thousands more out in
provincial towns and districts.
Other members of the commission
include George Ledebour and William
Dittmann, independent socialists, and
Friedrich Ebert and Herr Braun, ma
jority socialists.
Ask to Hold Meetings.
The commission, it is stated, asked
Herr Wallraf. the Prussian minister of
the interior, to grant permission for
the holding of meetings.
Herr Wallraf declared he would not
negotiate with the workmen, but would
receive socialist members of the par
lament
Herr Scheidermann, Herr Haase and
two workmen went to the minister of
the interior and informed him of the
action of the commission, demanding
unanimously that the negotiations take
place in the presence of the workmen.
Call on War Minister.
The result of Herr Wallraf's DELHI
erations is not yet known, the dis
patch reports, but it quotes the Lokal
Anzeiger as stating that important
negotiations are proceeding between
him and General Won Stein, the Prus-
sian minister of war.
All the workmen in the Kiel ship
yards and in the Vulcan works at Ham
burg. and thousands of miners in the
Rhenish Westphalian districts, struck
on Monday. according TO the Berliner
Yossische Zeitung.
War Industry Tied Up.
The entire war industry is at
standstilI, according to Vorwaerts.
Five airplane factories have shut
down.
A railway strike Is possible. Rail-
way employees, according to Vor-
waerts, met to discuss their future
course, but the police dispersed them.
The socialist organ mentions many
arrests and encounters, presumably
between police and the strikers.
Fire Grain Warehouses in Vienna.
The grain warehouses OF the city of
Vienna are afire and enormous damage
has been caused, according to Wen
ma dispatch forwarded from Amster-
dam by the Exchange Telegraph. Revo-
lutionaries are suspected Of having
started the fires.
ultimatum Insists on Peace.
Zurich, Jan. sS1.-The socialist pa
per. Vorwaerts, announces that the
Berlin strikers have now become more
numerous and threatening. They have
addressed to The government an ulti-
matum of which the following are the
principal demands:
l. Accelerated conclusions of gen.
eral peace without indemnities or an
nexations.
?. Participation Of workmens dele
gates of all the countries iii the peace
pourparlers.
3. Amelioration of food situation by
better distribution.
4. Immediate abolition Of the state
of siege and restoration of the right of
public meetings, suspended b the mill
tary authorities.
5. Abolition Of militarin,tIon of war
factories.
6. Immediate release Of all political
prisoners.
Z. Fundamental characterization of
state institutions.
8. The Institution of equal electoral
suffrage by direct secret ballot.