Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-11
GERMANY FACED LARGE
AMOUNT OF UNREST
Secretary OF German Iron and Steel
Manufacturers Association
Tells or Years Work
LABOR AND CAPITAL CLASH
Notwithstanding Truce between En-
ploycrs and Employees, Antagon-
ism Is More Marked Than Ever,
According to DR.. T.. Hoff.
BY DIR. Il. IIOFF.
Secretary os the Association OF German
Iron and Steel manufacturers.

Iron and steel Manufacturers.
C3y international News Bureau.)
Chat Germany had TO face all
through 1917 largo amount OF indus
trial unrest is disclosed In a report
which has just reached US of "A meeting
on December Is, 1917. Of an important
employers union. This is the union
for the district of the northwestern
group of tho Association OF German
Iron and Steel Manufacturers. Tho
following is translation from tho
German of the report submitted to
the meeting by Dr. l.. HoT. the secre-
tary. for the financial year ending
June 800
In the year under report, and more
especially from the carly part OF tho
calendar year. labor troubles increased.
which in large number uf cases led
o strikes But il was not {, question
ot strikes in the old sense. but of
denominations masse against the
difficulties in the food supply.
The gravity OF the effects of these
troubles as regards the carrying out
Of the Hindenburg program Is aptly
expressed III the weli-known mani
testo by Hindenburs and Groner. In
part Of the radical press an attempt.
was made TO fasten the responsibility
for these labor troubles upon the en-
ploEers. /. however. sharply combat
the allegations made on the part OF
trade unions that the employers were
not averse to seeing strikes arising
on account Of the food questions. be-
cause they hoped to divert thereby
the attention OF the workmen from
the question OF wages and labor con-
ditions.
DEALS WITH EFFECT OF
AUXILIARY SERVICE ACT
j now deal with the effect of the
auxiliary service act. The hopes enter
tanned as regards the results of the
passing OF this act have not been
realized because the Reichs,ag, in
stead of modifying all forces In the
service of the country with the one
object o! carrying on till victory WAS
gained. created safeguards against any
exploitation Of the labor of those
liable TO auxiliary service-which
safeguards. however. result in hamper
ing the s;raining Of ali enegrics aimed
al by tho act. More especially the
number Of changes or employment OF
workincn has not been reduced thereby.
The employees committees created
under the act, too, have only been able
10 fulfill in part the task Entrusted to
them. The accentuation, ever increas-
ing in the trade-unions, notwithstand-
ing the labor truce Of the antagontsm
between employers and employees (for
instance, at the meeting Of the German
Metal Workers Union in Cologne) has
also been influenced by the employees
committee most unfavorably.
While thus the committee in part
were unwilling 20 apply themselves to
the task assigned to them by the act
Of promoting good relations between
employers and employees, 1t has fire.
Quertly happened. on the other hand,
that the werkmen went on strike in
opposition to the decisions of their
committee. In the district OF the
Seventh Army Corps the military au-
thorities have taken energetic meas
ures against such onenses.
now review the Social political con-
ccptions obtaining at present in the
government ANA the Reichstag. ] COM
bat the view that constant yielding
10 Social political demands would lead
20 Socialist peace.
conclude by expressing the hope
that In the rcshaping OF Social policy
in view OF the impending mighty eco
nomic struggle, the basis of the I'm
perial proclamation OF February L.
1889. would not be derf rted from. In
which the limits to the annelioration
OF tho workmen's situation were laid
down TO the effect OF keeping German
industry capable of competing in the
worlds markets and thus affording an
assured existence to 1t and 10 it's
wOrkmen