Evening star., 1919-03-04
Join With Greater BerlIn's
Communist Bodies for
National Revolt.
METAL TRADES, RAILWAY
WORKERS GIVE SUPPORT
Berlin Business Men Ask Counter
Strike-Radicals Demand Trial
of Hohenzollerns.
BY the Associated Press.

tricts of Berlin, Spandau and other
suburbs of Berlin in order "to pro-
tect the bulk of the working peo-
pie from famine and the terror of
the minority"
Minister of War Noske. n dis
patch from Berlin says, has as
sumed executive power.
Among the other suburbs placed
under the state of siege are TeItow
and Niederbarmen.
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Monday, March 3.-The
National Spartacus League and the
Greater Berlin communist organiza-
tions have issued an appeal for an i'm
mediate general strike and the over
throw of the national assembly and
the present republic.
To Avoid Demonstrations.
The organizations instruct their fol-
lowers to assem- BILE at factories to
prevent work, and direct them to
avoid street demonstrations, in order
that the government may have no
opportunity to crush the movement
by force.
Meetings were being held a t 1890
o'clock today at various factories for
the purpose of deciding whether to
respond to the appeal.
The workmen of the Schwartze
plant. who are among the most radi-
cal in Berlin. have voted for a gen.
eral strike, $4,000 men being affected
This is the first response to the
Spartacan appeal.
According to the yorwaerts, the
majority of the workingmen in the
metal trades and the railway work
ers favor general stoppage of work.
Counter Measure.
Some 800 business and professional
men and offcers in the cfty--naostiy
adherents Of the old order--heid q
meeting and decided to take imme-
diate steps for organising q general
strike OF all the nom socialist classes
as a counter measure. It was assert
ed in the debate at the gathering
that the government officials believed
such a strike would assist them eff
fectively in the struggle against the
red terror" and that they considered
the people supported the national as
sembly.
1t seems doubtful, however. whether
the speakers had any authority to
speak for the government or whether
the organizers of the meeting will be
able to sway any considerable num-
bers.
AS regards strikes outside Berlin,
reports from the Essen district show
that the miners strike has been re-
newed three, but that it has not as yet
reached large proportions. The men
are demanding the shortening of their
day by half an hour. The miners in
Germany. have voted to return to
work today. This is believed to mark
the beginning of the end Of the coal
mining strike in Thuringia.
Aims of Spartacans.
The aims of the proposed strike as
called by the Berlin Spartacans in
clude the introduction of factory
councils in all plants to regulate fac
tory affairs and ultimately the taking
over of the factories. the dismissal of
the government troops and the dis
armament of all on-socialists the
withdrawal OF all troops from West
phalia, Bremen and other regions des-
ignated, and the formation of a red
guard under the control of the So
viets. which would take over all mill
tary and police powers
The liberation of all POLITICAL pris
oners and the establishment of a
revolutionary tribunal to trv the
chief culprits' of the var @ ,he he
Hohenzollerns, Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg, Gen. Ludendorn. Admiral
Tirpitz. and the"traitors to the reyolu-
ton" President Ebert, Chancellor
Scheidemann and Gustav Noske. the
minister of defense, are also called
for.
The immediate conclusion of peace
with Russia and the establishment of
diplomatic relations with the Russian
soviet republic are likewise dema nded
Promise Social Legislation.
The national governing board Of the
majority socialist party, the dele
gates to the national assembly and
the local board of greater Berlin have
issued an appeal to the workinsmen
to refrain from taking part in the
general strike. They promise that the
government will use all efforts possi-
BILE to hurry along social legislation
in which the retention of the prin-
ciple of the work ingmens councils
will be incorporated Such councils
later would officiate after the manner
of factory councils.
The proclamations against the strike
set forth that general strike at this
time would prove catastrophe in its
effects, as il would be inimical TO the
early conclusion of peace and the
economic recovery of Germany.
The Independent socialists, who are
holding meeting this morning. will
not il said, act on the strike issue
before Tuesday.
Armored Automobiles on Way.
Spartacan bands are on their way
to Frankfort from Westphalia, ac-
cording to A special dispatch received
today from Cassel. about ninety miles
northeast of Frankfort This dispatch
reported twenty armored automobiles
bearing Spartacans had arrived at
Wildungen en- route from Westphalia
to Frankfort
Messages from Bavaria state that
the troops at Munich have declared
they will stand back of the city mill
tary commander, Herr Duerr, in the
demand for a purely socialistic min
istry. They announce their refusal to
cooperate with the Spartacans and
communists and that they are pre-
pared to oppose all street terrorism.
(Cpntipuad op Cncond Do OaN