The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-04
NEWS OF
HUN RIOTS SIMPLY
CONFIRM BELIEFS
Early Predictions That Calm
in Berlin Was Only Tempo
rary Borne Out With Spar
taCan Crisis at Frankfort.

PARIS, April T. (By the Associated
Press 1.-THE latest adyices concerning
the fighting al Frankfort and the re-
neWal OF the strike in Berlin confirm
me impression prevailing in Germany
when the former Berlin correspondent
OF the Associated Press left there a
Week ago that the then comparative
lull in the manifestations OF Industrial
disorder and Revolutionary violence and
pillage Of the rabble was only tempo
rary.
Germany at that time was fairly
quiet, the only important exception be-
ing a strike In the surrounding region.
The March i~nsurrection In Berlin and
the disturbance In Central Germany
and in East Prussia had been sun
pressed; the flame of disorder was only
flickering in the Silesta coal fields, while
order was being maintained In Bremen,
Essen and other cities, formerly scenes
OF Spartacan %uprisings, n the social
list proletarlat Of Bavaria, although run
ming affairs In that state without regard
seeking any occasion of conflict with
the central authorities.
Trouble Foreseen.
Beneath the surface there was album
dant possibilities Of trouble. The ma
jority of the German w~orkingmen, par
ticularly the married men, wish to work,
although higher wages are being con-
stantly demanded, to meet the rising
cost Of food. An energetic SpArtacan
minority and the younger irrepressibles,
however, are constantly causing [. oubIe
and preaching Bolsheyist doctrines Of
reiterated political strikers to dlspossess
factory owners and overthrow the pres
ent government.
On occasions, as at Berlan and in the
Ruhr region, these minoritles had been
able TO lnveigle or persuade othsrs into
Joining the strike movement producing
higher wages In case OF success and
holding out the bait Of abundant food
improvements from Russia II the gov
eminent were overthrown and an al
lance concluded with Bolghevist Russia.
The factory owners feared hat the
radical minority might again dominate
their fellows ii a new strike was called
under prosperous circumstances, par
ticularly as there were a number of big
establishments, known ~colloquiaily as
~'Liebknecht plants" where the work,
men were largely SpaTtacan, who could
be counted on 70 give a most sa~tisfac-
tory impetus to a general strike by
going out in a body at a given signal.
Factory owners and others In close
touch with industrial conditions regard
the distribution OF American food sup
| plies at reasonable prices as the only
possibility Of mastering the strike
movement, re-establishing industrial or
der and stimulating production. With
the workmen able to buy with their
wages the necessary food, they may
be able to shake off the influence OF
the radicals. Without this possibility
all must inevitably drift completely
into the domination OF the extremists.
The industrial situation Is complicated
by a shortage OF coal and raw materials,
Factories are running only five days a
week on short schedule Of hours. Should
the coal production be Increased and
transportation improved there would be
a far better outlook for industry.