Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-08
AMERICAN
MISSIONS
IN DANGER
IN BERLIN
Casualties in Fighting Be-
tween Government Troops
and Republican Guards
Exceed 400.

London, March 7.-When the
Spartacan forces captured the main
telegraph office in Berlin Thursday
the members of the American Red
Cross mission were endangered by
the shooting, according to an Ex-
change Telegraph dispatch from
Berlin. Colonel Taylor ordered the
women with the mission to seek
safety in the Palace hotel.
The American mission to look af-
ter the welfare of prisoners ell
trenched itself in the Hotel Adlon
behind battery of machine guns.
The battle for the telegraph office,
the dispatch adds, was the worst
Berlin has seen.
Casualties Exceed 400.
All the important buildings in
Berlin were in the hands of govern
ment troops Friday afternoon and a
good prospect of maintaining order
was assured, according to a Ger
man government wireless message
received here tonight.
The number of dead and wounded
in the recent fighting exceeds 400,
the message says.
During the negotiations at Wei
mar with delegations of the Berlin
workman the majority socialists
demanded that work be resumed
Immediately, according to a Central
News dispatch from Copenhagen.
The independent socialists were di-
vided in their attitude.
The workmen, it is added. said
they would waive their demand for
the punishment of the former EN-
peror, Field Marshal Won linden
burg and General Ludendorff.
Government Troops Advance.
Berlin, March 7.-Government
troops to the number of 10000 began
an attack Thursday from all sides
of the center of the city and made
brilliant progress in efforts to re-
lieve police headquarters. A column
from the west progressed to within
a block of police headquarters in
two hours.
1t is believed that the column sue
ceeded in relieving the besieged gar
rison at police headquarters, al
though military headquarters has
not yet received any information on
that point.
Between 200 and 800 persons were
killed or wounded. The casualties
were largely among spectators.
The spectators, despite all warn
ing, persisted in staying to see the
fighting. The casualties among the
government troops were compara-
lively light.
There was very little organized
coherent opposition by the republi-
can guards and Spartacan marines
They were caught by surprise with
out efficient leadership and we're un-
able to check the attack of the well
disciplined government forces.
Raid Military Prison.
A force of Spartacan sailors
armed with mine throwers, broke in
to a temporary prison in the Haus-
lvogtei platz, across from the Reichs-
bank, this morning and took out
military prisoners, but finally kept
them in custody.
Efforts to close down the light
and power plants in Greater Berlin
have been inaugurated by the strike
committee. Chairman Mueller OF
the committee announced that the
electric workers demanded that the
light and power systems be conf
pletely paralyzed and that the rail-
road worknen also intended to
strike.
A resolution was presented to the
strike committee pledging every
member to support all the decisions
OF the committee. This was Intended
to smoke out the majority socialist
representatives on the committee.
Fighting in Bohemia.
Vienna. March IA popular
manifestation on the part Of Ger
mans in the town of Kaaden
Bohemia, for right of self-determina-
ton led to a conflict with Czech
military forces yesterday. Seven
teen persons are reported TO have
been killed and 10 wounded. In
another collision two civilians were
| shot