The sun., 1919-09-01
Driven to Revolt, Workers in
Upper Silesia Fight Hope
less Battle.
DEATH PENALTY IMPOSED
Movement Is Likely to Spread
Over Europe, Says Cor
respondent.
ny CHRISTOPHER LUMBy.
Special Gable Despatch to THr sus from the
London Ti,nes seyvice.


London Tisaes seyvics.
Copyright, 1919. oil rights reserved.
WARSAW, Aug. 80 delayed When
the Disturbances began in the mining
district of Upper silesia the Germans at
first remained on the defensive. but
when they realized that the insurgents
had no concerted plan they sent detach-
ments of infantry with machine guns
and armored trains and cars to shoot
down the rebels. At the same time
Herr Hoersing, state Commissary, Is
sued a proclamation making the strike
Illegal, ordering all workmen to return
to work and declaring that all insur-
gents taken with arms should be exc
cuted without trial.
Meanwhile the Germans received re-
endorsements of the Grenzschutz Divi-
sion and a marine brigade was hurried
down from Berlin. Two big sweeps
were begun, one from Kattowitz to clear
the mining region and the other north
ward and eastward from Rather and
Tybnik. In the face of the German &C
ton the insurgents fell back fighting
to the Polish frontier--if It can be called
fighting. where unorganized gangs of
men, OF whom only every tenth man has
a rife, are faced by regular troops fully
armed and ably led.
The insurgents never stood a chance.
Two Incidents serve to illustrate the
hopelessness Of the struggle. They sue
ceeded In beating Off German armored
train between Richenau and Schoppintz
by blowing UP the rails. Then the train
was besieged by a band Of fifty insur-
gents, who could muster only thirty
rifles among them. The siege lasted ten
hours, until the arrival Of German
troops who compelled the Poles to re-
tire.
Poles Have No Chance.
Even more pathetic was the attack on
Myalswitz. The Poles started at 6 o'clock
in the morning by rushing the railway
station. The town was defended by
German infantry with twenty-four ma
chine guns and four other guns. The
insurgents had $50 rifles among them
and fifteen cartridges for each rifle.
Even SO. they appeared at one time to
have occupied the greater part of the
town. They rushed two machine guns
and intrenched In a schoolhouse. but
the Germans brought up tanks and ar
mored, cars and shelled the schoolhouse
| to pieces. After a fight lasting all day
the insurgents were driven out. The
short and rapid bombardment which I
heard at o'clock in the evening must
have been the coup de grace.
On August Is a German airplane
opened fire on a group of people. killing
one girl and wounding another. On Au-
gust 81 there was machine gun fire
across the frontier. On the day follow
ing two civilians were killed on Polish
territory by FIRE from the other side of
the frontier, and a number Of houses
were damaged by artillery FIRE.
There Is small danger Of these incl
dents causing a conflict between the
Polish and the German troops, but 1t Is
difficult for the Poles to leave the acts
unnoticed. These incidents are charac-
| teristic of what took place for three
days.
On the night of the third day the IN
surgents had been driven out of all
centres where the movement originated.
Practically speaking they occupied then
nothing but a narrow fringe of territory
along the Polish frontier and parts OF
| the forest south of Kattowitz.
| Death Threats Carried Out.
Herr uoersing's threat to insurgents
! taken with arms has been grimly car
ried out I have a list of places where
such executions have been taking place.
At Lebrek for instance, nine persons
were shot and at Bouten more than
| thirty. In spite of this. from the re-
| ports which are coming across the
| frontier, I am convinced that the move
ment will continue to spread. The fire
now started may die down. but it will
blaze again over the whole OF Europe
till 1t Is quenched in blood.
| l talked with number OF insurgents.
They will never give in SO long as
conditions remain as they have been
| ~ q a
! the raising Of the state of SIEGE reopen
ing OF the mines and factories and a
plebiscite.
These same demands they expressed
| to Col. Goodyear. the American repre-
sentative of the Allied Coal Commission,
| in a conference he just had with four
| Polish leaders. I wish TO maze this
clear because Germans will maintain
that the insurgents are revoluucnaries
and Bolshevists with whom 1t is impos-
sible to negotiate. II there Is any ten
dency toward Bolshevism among the
Polish miners--and the men with whom
I have spoken do not bear the stamp OF
Bolshevists-it Is because the Germans
have encouraged 1t.
CIapped Into Prison.
Every one OF the responsible leaders
! of the Silesian workmen has been either
Imprisoned on a charge of conspiracy or
10 escape q like fate has been compelled
TO fee the country like the four who
conferred with Col. Goodyear. The state
OF siege was proclaimed in January last
nomlnally as a precaution against I'M
rest in Industrial centres, but as soor
as II was known that the fate OF Upper
Silesia was to be settled by plebiscite II
was extended to the whole region.
Under this regime all meetings OF
workmen were forbidden, but the au.
thorities closed their eyes TO meetings
addressed by Bolshevist agitators or
August IL at Laurahutte. These fact:
serve to indicate that the state OF siege
and other acts In Upper Silesla were
simply the means used to provoke q
revolution which would make plebi
soite impossible.
The alternative to revolution was de
portation of the population en- masse
The methods had been applied until re
Gently by Gen. Hoter. commanding tn,
district. against whom proceedings hav,
been opened by Belgian judicial authori
ties for misdeeds committed during tn,
German occupation Of Belgium.
General Hides on BeIEians.
This General. doubtless to enable hin
to disappear and avoid extradition, wa
relieved Of his command recently an
was replaced by Gen. Luttwitz. Ever
possible means has been used TO exas
perate the Polish population. Tn
Poles have 7been compelled 10 see a
> active German piebiscite propaganda
= Ns.NA