New-York tribune., 1919-01-27
Berlin Lived by
Torchligght During
Electrical Strike
ChostIy City at Night With
No Local Phone Service.
No Trans Running; Pub
lie Confused and Angry
New York Tribune


Special Cable Service
ROTTERDAM, Jan. % DELAYED D.
Since yesterday morning Berlin has
been passing through another period
OF revolutionary fever. The immedi-
ate cause was a general strike Of work
ers IN the electricity generating sta
tlons. The severest effects, of course,
were felt at night when, over g great
part Of the city, darkness, unrelieved,
descended at sunset Wages are again
tie ostensible cause, the men demand
ing three shillings an hour
In the daytime the confusion when
greater numbers of people are moving
abroad, is even more trying. Through
out the city and suburbs tramway traf-
nc is stopped, thus throwing a heavier
burden of transport on the under
ground railway, which alone continues
working. Here, by the lurid lickering
OF numerous torches, irritable and anx-
lous crowds struggle for places, the
crush and confusion being so great
that life itself is endangered and many
accidents have been reported.
The misery is intensified by the com.
plete lack of all other means Of illumi-
nation, such as oil and candles, while.
as ii Nature herself were conspirine
to add to Berlin's troubles, heavy
snow clouds and a misty tmosphere
all day depress the spirits of every
body, whether indoors or in the street.
1t was so dark at midday to day that
reading was almost impossible.
No Local Phone Service
Among the worst consequences Of
the strike is the cessation of all telc-
phone service through local exchanges.
the small amount of current generated
by the batteries in the possession Of
the telephone system being reserved
for official and trunk-line calls. Never
theless, the news contained IN this
message reached me by telephone di-
rect from Berlin.
While in the Berlin streets angry
disputes occur between travellers over
the few taxicabs availa, lie, and while
various antiquated and ultra-mod odern
vehicles are turning out to carry pas
sengers at eXorbitant fares, negotia-
tions are in progress between the
strikers and employers. Among the
emergency vehicles are military freight
lorries.
The "Rotterdamsche Courant' cor
respondent says: al travelled lust now
IL the underground railway and motto
ed many compartment windows smash
ed. owing to the ovcrcrowded condi-
tons"
At latest reports the strike still con
tinues. In the evening the use of tele-
phones is prohibited, even for official
conversations.
Mining Strike at Ham
There is much strike and other
troubles in the mining area at Ham
near Dusseldorf. Some of the miners
are determined to socialize the mines
by way of a protest against the death
of LiebkNecht and Rosa Luxembourg
A general strike was declared at Rem
scheid, where all industry is at stand
still and traffic stopped. The strike is
spreading to Essen and several mines
are involved.
While at the Kaiser mine the men
are striking as protest against the
Ebert Scheidemann government. an
other strike has broken out in upper
Siesia, at Appeln, near Breslau
where the miners refused TO work
although their leaders were against
striking. In fortyfour strikes among
miners the leaders have lost all con
troll, and it is estimated that 10000
out of 10000 miners now are on
strike.
Later the Rotterdam scher Cou-
rants" correspondent says that the
Cabinet meeting which was broken up
yesterday as the result of the sudden
failure Of the electric lights was re-
sumed to-day. when the general feeling
was expressed that the situation in con
nection with finance. the transport Of
become unbearable and radical changes
must be brought about. 1t is expected
that the Cabinet shortly Will take
measures in keeping with the urgent
demands of the situation.