Arizona republican., 1919-04-04
GERMAN FIRES
 SMOULDER|nG
 UNDERNEATH
Though Majority Are Yet Against Bolshevism, the Peace Conference. Delays and Other Causes Make for Anarchy
Republican A. p. Leased WIreJ

Republican A. p. Leased WIre1
 PARIS, April 3.-The latest advices concerning the fighting at Frankfort and the renewal of the strike in Berlin confirms the impression prevailing in Germany when the former Berlin cor respondent of the Associated Press left there a week ago that the then comparative lull in the manifestations of industrial disorder and revolution ary violence and pillage by the rabble was only temporary.
 Germany was at that time fairly quiet, the only important exception being a strike in the surrounding region. The March instruction in Berlin and the disturbances in central Germany and in east Prussia had been suppressed; the flame of disorder was only flickering in the Silesia coa fields, while order was being main tained in Bremen. Essen and other cities, formerly scenes of spartacan uprisings and the socialist proletariat of Bavaria, although running affairs in that state without regard to the central government were not seeking any occasion of conflict with the cen tral authorities.
 Causes of Unrest
 Beneath the surface, there was abundant possibilities of trouble. The majority of the German working men, particularly the married men, wished to work, although higher wages are being constantly demanded, to meet the rising cost of food An energetic spartacan minority and the younger irrepressibles, however, are constantly causing trouble and preaching bolshe- vist doctrines of reiterated political strikes to dispossess factory owners and overthrow the present govern ment
 On earlier occasions, as at Berlin, and in the Ruhr region. these minori- ties had been able to inveigle or per suade others into joining the strike movement, producing higher wages in cases of success and holding out the l bait of abundant food shipments from 1 Russia if the government were over thrown and an alliance concluded with bolshevist Russia.
 Minority Maybe Majority 1 The factory owners feared that the radical minority might again dominate their fellows if a new strike was called under propitious circumstances. particularly as there were a number of | big establishments known colloquilly as 'Iiebknecht plants" where the workmen were largely spartacan, whC could be counted on to give a most satisfactory impetus to a genera strike by going out in body at . l given signal.
 Factory owners and others in close touch with industrial conditions re- | gard the distribution of American foo6 | supplies at reasonable prices as the only possibility of mastering the strikt l movement establishing industria order and stimulating production. Witt the workmen able to buy with theil wages the necessary food. they may bt able to shake off the influence of tht radicals. Without this possibility, al | must inevitably drift completely int the domination of the extremists. The industrial situation is complicat- ed by a shortage of coal and raw ma terials Factories are running only five days a week on short schedule o hours. Should the coal production b, increased and transportation improved there would be a far better outlook fol industry.
 Food Sedative
 Leading German manufacturers, par ticularly in the electrical and machin- cry lines, assured the correspondent that they would have no difficulty ir doing a profitable business even under the present wage scale if the food anc fuel difficulty was solved. The foo6 situation was rapidly becoming critica when the food and shipping agreement was signed. But the speedy arrival oi American food ships with food on board had already had an imposing effect or general sentiment, though distribution had not begun week ago.
 The exhaustion of the potato stocks was in sight, the food administrators hoping only to continue the reduced ration until into May Some stocks o1 grain could last at best only into tEt third week of May The emaciate6 herds of Germany were no longer able to supply even the reduced meat ration of from four to seven ounces per week The government distribution of bread was slightly over five pounds a week but was still functioning efficiently.
 Rationing Machinery Broken
 Otherwise, the rationing machinery had largely broken down, either on ac count of exhaustion of supplies or in abality of a weak government to en force the purchasing regulations whici idu DeeH beyond the power OI a SITODs war government The ration. even ol paper, was inadequate to maintain tn working ability of people weakened b. four years of food privations. Ever, one, rich and poor bought what sup plies could be obtained outside the "a tions at enormous prices.
 The workman, earning his imposing 30 to 40 marks per day. had beel spending a days wages for a poun' of lard, pork or beef. The more un fortunate middle class man, on fixe' salary was unable to finance such lux ury except on the rarest occasions Both of these classes at the end o
 March found that, even at such ex , orbitant prices. nothing was to be ob tained. Restaurants, which earlier ha catered to customers with money an had furnished them with food, withou the presentation of a card, were bein f forced to obey the law.
 The Delay at Paris
 The long wait for the decision of tn } peace conference, and the press report from time to time of decisions advers to Germany had produced a very pes simistic sentiment and just as tn government representatives talked ( l refusing to sign a humiliating treat, l so many publicists and men in variou walks of life had begun to argue tn , advisability of casting over the yves and coming to an understanding wit [ bolshevist Russia.
 This sentiment when coming frol