Evening star., 1918-02-01
LACK OF CONTROL
WEAKENS STRIKE
THROUGH GERMANY
Support Necessary to Carry
Industrial Upheayal to Sue
cessfuI Conclusion Falters.
BLOODY CLASH MARKS
WALKOUT in BERLIN
Social Democrat Party and Trade:
Unions Deny Responsibility
for Labor Troubles.

Unions Deny Responsibility
for Labor Troubles.
LONDON, February l.
A three-day strike has been
declared in Munich, accord
ing to Central News dis
patch from Amsterdam to-
day.
By the Associated Press.
AMSTERDAM, February There
was q clash between strikers and the
police in the northwestern part of Ber-
lin Thursday. One policeman was killed
and a dozen strikers were injured.
There we're minor disturbances in other
sections and in the suburbs of Berlin.
The German press generally agrees
that the outbreak has reached its climax
in Berlin and is now receding. The
demonstrations are said to show lack of
centralized control.
Socialists Discuss Policy.
The socialist party committee met in
Berlin Wednesday evening to decide upon
the attitude Of the party in view OF the
extension of the strike The committee
considered program which the Vossische
Zeitung says was regarded as Offering a
suitable basis for negotiations with the
government The program was restricted
to political demands affecting domestic
affaira omitting reference to the desires
in regard to tn, foreign policy expressed
By ti1e strikers. The committee also con-
sfdered measures to prevent the tncite-
ment of strike Of bakers.
The fighting yesterday in Berlin. In
which a policeman was killed, was brought
about by an attempt on the part of a
With the street car traffic. Another po-
Mcanan was injured seriously
Strikers Placed at 10000.
Minor disturbances are reported in other
sections Of Berlin and in the outskirts Of
xhe city. The afternoon newspapers have
been compelled to reduce the number Of
taneir pages Public utilities are being
uOerated without interruption so far as
the latest advices show. German news
papers generally estimate the number OF
strikers at 10000.
They all say that the disintegration OF
the movement is proceeding rapidly. The
riots Of yesterday are said to have been
due to the anger Of the strikers on realiz-
ing that the movement was doomed to
T1sa tro 100 .,niona are decyininp fo nav
out strike benefits. As an indication of
the lack Of centralized direction, it is said
that only few of the big plants of
Berlin were forced to suspend operations
completely.
Deny Responsibility.
The governing board of the social demo-
cratic party announced yesterday that it
had not taken over the management of the
strike. The trades unions through the
general commission also disclaimed re-
aponsibility, and the strike appears con-
aequently to have been orphaned, SO far
as these two authoritative bodies are con-
cerned. The part played by Philip
Scheidemann. friedrich Ebert and Herr
Braun, socilist leaders, is explained on
tho ground that they are anxious to pre-
vent the strike from resulting in dis
organization and rioting. While the party
az such indorses the political demands re-
garding domestic affairs which were made
by the strikers it is generally believed that
It definitely disapproyes the present strike
Is an instrument for forcing the govern
ment to meet these demands.
g Warns Socialist Leaders.
The Tageblatt warns Scheidemann
and Ebert against playing Trotzky's
game, and appeals to the radical lead
ers to bring the outbreak to a concilia-
tory conclusion, on account of the effect
abroad and for the sake of the future
prospects for the internal reforms
championed by the reichstag majority
The official bulletin of the national
liberal party declares that the Berlin
strike leaders are playing into Trot-
zky's bands. Most of the newspapers of
the reichstag majority parties continue
their criticisms OF the socialists. The
Gfrmania says that by associating
themselves with the strike both Sec
tions of the party have displayed very
bad tactics. which might well have con-
sequences fnconvenient to themselves.
The Freisinnige Zeitung says the pro-
gressive peoples party will have moth
: Ing to do with the latest acts of the
social democrats, on whom it throws
full responsibility for all consequences
Of the strike.
Abusive Toward Leaders.
The Kreuz Zeitung Of Berlin prints
an abusive article regarding the strik-
ers, who. 1t says. are behaving as
though on holiday. Great numbers
Of them, according to the newspaper
gather at Kempinski's, famous Berlin
restaurant, and it is the class of which
I, the strikers form part that makes uL
large proportion of the patrons of the
opera, the most frivolous theaters, the
wine shops. moving picture houses anC
dance and music halls.
The military commander at Hamburg
has ordered a cessation of the strike
dispatch adds that the commander alst
ordered that future strikes be avoided
The Berlin papers explained that tn,
German authorities do not refuse Il
treat with the proper labor leaders re
Gkrdtng the strike. The government
takes the position. however, that oil
Important political questions 1t canno
Degotfats with the workers, and, in an,
case. with strikers.
King Of Bavaria's Act.
Discussing the report that the KIM
Of Bavaria attempted to influence En-
perCf William in favor of a "securit,
3 peace" the Leipsic Neueste Nachrich
ten says:
I'VE have reason to assume that tn,
report is correct. We would even go
step further and add that the appea
which .Athe Deutsche Tageszeitung O
7. Rerii4 addresses to the other fedora
Dri1ees to follow the kings. exampl,
alr(pay has been forestalled.
Recording to our information tn,
CONTINUED on Tenth PaSel