The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-04
SPARTACANS
ATTEMPT TO
THROW OVER
GOVERNMENT
Twelve Thousand Workers
Respond to Call for General
Strike-Would Form Red
Guard Under Soviet.
BERLIN UNDER SIEGE
(By Associated Press)


COPENHAGEN, March 4. = The
state Of siege in the police district of
Berlin, Spandau and other suburbs Of
Berlin in order "to protect the bulk of
the working people from famine and
the terror of the minority" Minister
Of War Noske has assumed executive
power.
The National Spartacus League and
the Greater Berlin communist organi-
cations have issued an appeal for an
immediate general strike and the over
throw OF the national assembly and
the present republic.
The organizations instruct their fol-
lowers to assemble at factories to pre-
vent work and direct them to avoid
street demonstrations in order that
tunity to crush the movement by
force.
Vote for Strike.
Meetings we're being held 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 general
strike, twelve thousand men being at
fected. This is the first response to
the Spartacan appeal.
According to the Vorwaertz, the ma
jority of the workingmen in the metals
trades and the railway workers favor
a general stoppage of work.
AS regards the strikes outside Ber-
lin, reports from the Essne district
show that the miners strike has been
renewed there 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 the Altenburg coal district
in central Germany have voted to re-
turn to work today. This is believed
to mark the beginning of the end OF
the coal mining strike in Thuringia.
Want cuIprits Freed.
The aims OF the proposed strike as
called by the Berlin Spartacans, in
clude the Introduction of factory coun-
ellis in all plants to regulate factory
affairs and ultimately the taking over
of the factories, the dismissal of the
government troops and the disarma-
ment of all non-Socialists, the with
drawal OF all troops from Westphalia,
Bremen and other regions designated,
and the formation of a red guard un-
der the control of the soviets, which
would take over all military and police
powers.
The liberation of all political pris-
oners and the establishment of rev.
olutionary tribunal to try the chief
culprits" of the war, the HohenZol-
lerns, Field Marshal Won Hfndenburg,
General Ludendorff, Admiral TirplitZ
and the traitors" to the revolution.
President, Ebert, Chancellor Scheide-
mann and Gustave Noeske, the minis
ter of defense, are also called for
The immediate conclusion of peace
with Russia and the establishment Of
diplomatic relations with the Russian
soviet government are likewise de-
manded.
The national governing board of the
Majority Socialist party, the delegates
to the national assembly and the local
board of Greater Berlin have issued
an appeal to the workingmen to re-
frain from taking part in the general
strike. They promise that the govern
ment will use all efforts possible to
hurry along social legislation In which
the retention of the principle of the
workingmen's councils will be incor-
porated. Such councils later would
officiate after the manner Of factory
councils.
The proclamation against the strike
set forth that a general strike at this
time would prove catastrophe in it's
effects, as it would be inimical to the
early conclusion of peace and the
economic recovery Of Germany.
Bavarian Troops Coming
The Independent Socialists who are
holding a meeting this morning will
not, it is said, act on the strike issue
before Tuesday.
Bavarian troops opposed to the rad
ical government in Munich are march
ing on that city, according to dis
patch. This announcement was made
at the soldiers and workmen's confer
ence in Munich.
Government circles are said to be
considerably exercised over the fact
which Is daily becoming more notice
able, that nearly the entire lndepend-
ent Socialist delega ton in the nation
al assembly has vanished during these
days of strikes, uprisings and attempts
to cut off Weimar from the rest OF
Germany Today, for instance, there
were only two Independent Socialists
present at the assembly session, Herr
Cohn and Herr Hencke. On Saturday
there had been four Independents
present in the body and on Friday
five such members.
The Independent delegation has
been steadily dwindling since the be-
ginning of the Halle and Leipsic
troubles.