The Washington herald., 1919-01-09
Street Fighting Still Con-
tinues, with Hundreds
Slain; Decisive Battle Be-
tween Bolshevists and
Government Today.

affillatiOn of their party with the
Spartacans as the result of two
bloody revOlts, the Independent Social
ists have commenced negotiations with
the Ebert government with the view
to securing a bloodless victory for
the workers. The Spartacus group,
however, refuses to enter into any
negotiations.
Force" is their keynote and the
only means they propose to employ
till all Germany Is engulfed by the
class war they are preaching. Moth
ing short of a repetition Of the Rus
sian terrorism Is their aim.
Though it has strong-armed forces
at its disposal, the Ebert government
took no serious action against the
with crowds all day. Work has ceased
in all factories.
The Reds are in control of all rail-
way stations to prevent aid to the
government entering the city. Sol
diers with machine guns are on all
housetops. Everybody carries arms.
The Reds are distributing weapons to
all their adherents. They have occu-
pied the famous Brandenburg Gate.
The marines have Joined the govern
ment troops.
The underground rsiIway system is
tied up.
Seize Newspapers.
The radicals are reported to
have seized the Wolff bureau (gov-
ernment news agency, three news
paper buildings. the government
printing office and the railway de-
partments. The Reds appear to con-
troll the vicinity of the royal palace
and Alexander square. They are
demanding rehabilitation of the en-
tire revolutionary army.
Government troops occupied the
top OF the Brandenburg gate this
morning ambushing behind the
bronze horses, which the Prussians
stole from France in 1870. They
were prepared to hold this strate-
gical position overlooking four
broad parts of the city, but no dl-
rect attack was made on the gate
itself until 2 o'clock and then the
BOlshevigi made three attacks, kill
ing or wounding the men on top Of
the gate. There was also firing in
Inter Den Linden where there were
many casualties.
Hoist White FIay.
After the third attack the govern
ment troops hOisted the white nag
and abandoned the gate. The Reds
did not attempt to occupy it, but
transferred the center of the fight
AuR to Fyilhelmstrasse where. heavy
nghting is proceeding. There is
every reason to believe decisive
fighting will take place, possibly re-
tulting in the BOlsheviki seizing
power by tomorrow "Wednesday
elorning.
An entire division, with artillery
and machine guns, is reported to be
marching on Berlin and POtsdam, to
put down the Spartacan revolt.
The Ebert government has decid-
ed to employ German ''frightful-
ness" in suppressing the Spartacan
revolt The government has decided
to equip its troops with flame
throwers. and crush Carl Lieb-
knecht, who is reported to have mar
rOwly escaped death several times
during the fighting.
Copenhagen. Jan. . (Thursday). -
Three hundred persons have been kill
ed and many hundreds wounded in
Berlin since Monday.
In Munich a mob of 5000 unem-
pIoyed men and women was attacked
by machine guns. Two were killed.
In Dusseldorf COn the Rhine) a Boil
shevik republic has been proclaimed.
In Schwerin, a Junker stronghold,
the BoIsheviki were driven from the
barracks and public buildings.
Berlin and many other parts of
Germany are in the thrOes of bloody
civil warfare in which the sparta
cans. now assuming the appellation
of Bolsheviki. are striving to plunge
the whole fatherIand into terrorism.
Liebknecht is telling the Berlin
crowds the hour for a world revo-
luton has struck.
Calls Berlin Insane Asylum.
Berlin is an insane asylum" says
Germania. The Ebert government is
said to have strong armed forces. but
= trying to stave off decisive battle to
prevent terrific blood bath.
Bolsheviki are in control of whole
railway system.
A Bolshevik republic has been set
IN in DuesseIdoTf on the Rhine.
The Spartacans are in complete con-
roI of Mannheim and Oberhausen and
nave proclaimed a BOlshevik govern
nent.
At Nuremberg they have seized the
newspapers. There are daily demon
STATIONS in the streets os Munich.
Hamburg and Frankfort are solidly in
,avor of the Ebert government.
Tho RadG have raDtured an a arornt1ni-