The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1919-04-02

RIOTINC is
SERIOUS IN
HUN CITIES
Situation Declared Most Crit
ical in History of German
Republic = State of Siege
at Stuttgart.
LABOR OUT ON STRIKE
(By Associated Press)

(By Associated Press)
BERLIN, April 2.-Almost all the
labor forces of Germany are either
striking or Threatening to strike as a
result of agitation carried on by In
dependent Socialists and Spartacides.
who are succeeding in their efforts to
induce workers to make increasingly
impossible demands. They have been
partially persuading mine guards on
duty in the Ruhr district to protect
the pits against the Sparticides, to
prevent miners from descending.
The situation everywhere is consid-
cred serious and it is said that the aim
of the Sparticides is purely political,
having for it's object the overturning
of the present government and the es-
tablishment of Bolshevism. Sangui-
nary engagements have occurred at
Kastrop, in Westphalia, according to
the Tageblatt. A procession of miners
which was on its way to the office of
the Kastrop Anzeiger clashed with
public security guards and several
were killed and wounded on both
sides, it is said.
Riotin9 at frdhk1oT.
Rioting broke out again this after
noon The mob plundered the pro-
vision stores. All the available mill
tary forces were rushed to the scene
of the disorders.
Demonstrators searching the chief
burgomaster's house discovered large
stores of meats, eggs and flour.
On Monday eleven persons were
killed and twenty-five wounded. The
police have made 400 arrests in con-
nection with the disorders, it is said.
In the Ruhr basin the number of
strikers is estimated at 10000. There
| have been riots in Wurttemburg, ac-
| cording to report,
( Three hundred persons accused of
!. piundering shops in this city have
| been arrested. Disorders due to the
| shortage of foodstuffs have been re-
Gently intensified by reduction of
| the potato ration from five to three
| pounds.
TROOPS AND STRIKERS
The government has proclaimed
state of siege in the city OF Stuttgart
and it's environs. All shops, theatres
and public places must close from 8
! o'clock in the evening until 8 o'clock
in the morning, and all street traffic
| is forbidden after 9 p. m.
The counter strike which was called
as protest against the general walk
| out Of working men has been Joined by
| tradesmen, merchants, manufacturers,
state and municipal officials, doctors
and chemists. No local papers are
issued and postal and tramcar serv-
ices have been suspended.
n collision hafUQ9D strikers and
government troops at Stuttgart on
Tuesday three persons were killed
and many others were wounded. The
demonstrators were eventually dis
persed and order restored.
The labor leaders In Stuttgart have
declared general strike there.
An investigation was begun in Ber
lin this morning before an imperial
military court into the case of Captain
Charles Fryatt, the British mercantile
marine commander who was executed
by the Germns in 1916 after his con-
viction by a German courtmartial Of
having attempted to ram a submarine
with his vessel, the Great Eastern
railway steamer Brussels. A large
number of witnesses appeared for
examination.
CRISIS MOST SERIOUS
; LONDON, April 2.-Describing the
outlook in Germany, the Berlin cor
| respondent of the Mail says the crisis
which is rapidly approaching seems
| certain to be graver than either the
January or March outbreaks.
"One of the storm centers Is Ba-
varia, especially Munich he writes
| "The situation in southern Germany
has completely changed during the
| last three weeks. Thousands OF peo-
pie, including many women. attend
mass meetings at which unadulterated
bolshevism is advocated and demands
| are made for the abolition of the
| election Of parliament. A political
| section has arisen that is even strong
er than the Sparticides. The mem
| bers of this party call themselves Syn
dicalists, and are apparently led or
inspired by terrorists who escaped
from Dusseldorf when government
troops occupied that city after the last
| uprising.
"Bolshevism is working in Germany
| by propaganda as it did Hungary and
| is wrecking industry and removing