The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-07-02

a general strike would be proclaimed
at the first attempt OF the government
to send troops through Chemnitz. The
executive committee had promised sew
eral days before this that 1t would set.
tie the Vogtland troubles by peaceable
means, and Minister Gradnauer was
still promising mild treatment for
Hoelz and his gang.
This attitude of organized labor at
Chemnitz correspondent to the attitude
or the more extreme socialists else
where. The Independent socialists
either excused or openly encouraged
Hoeiz. Their leading organ at Ores
den declared that the workmen would
resist an armed Intervention by every
possible means, and "the responsibility
would fall with full weight upon the
government" And the Freiheit, the
national organ of that party, saw moth
Ing worse in Hoelz's doings than
breach of party discipline. He was
acting contrary to the interests of
the revolutionary proletariat" PRO
letarian campaigns" this organ con-
linued, Require closed ranks at the
battle front, obedience to general or
ders; and all dancing out of ones turn
means weakening and hurting the rev.
olutionary struggle"
Decide to Fight Bandit.
| Finally about three weeks after
Hoelz had been in possession at Fal-
kenstein, Gradnauer decided with ex-
IRENE reluctance, that he would have
to ask the Berlin government to send
the Reichswehr against the maraud-
err. His hopes that the workmen in
the VOgtland would come and say:
1.-THE thing can't be done without the
Reichswehr," had not been realized.
An attempt was made by Plauen work
men, indeed, to shake HolZ, but with.
out success at first. The action COM
mittee there called four big meetings;
at which a resolution against him was
to be proposed; but Hoelz himself
boldly appeared at the meetings, and
by means of his usual fiery harangues
defeated the resolutions
AS the troops began to move, how
ever, the laborng people began to as.
sert themselves. At Chemnitz, the
decision of the shop councils to call
general strike in support of Hoelz,
was nullified by large majority on a
general vote of the entire labOring
population; and about the same time,
q conference of the communists at
Chemnitz voted to expel him from
| their party. On the other hand, about
the time when the troops were drawing
their net around VOgtland a con-
! ference Of socialists at Gera, attended
| by delegates from many ThuringaR
towns, voted unanimously to demand
that the troops be recalled, otherwise
to declare a general strike for all Ger
many.
Hoped to Make Escape.
But the troops gradually gathered
around the Vogtland, coming In with
many apologies and explanations on
the part of the Dresden government
and the general. Airplanes we're
sent in advance to scatter handbills
designed gently to soothe the fears
of the workmen. Moreover, civil
commissioner was sent along with the
troops to restrain their thirst to kill
on sight Hoelz and his band
Hoelz scented the danger from afar,
but he made good use of the few days
of grace still left him. He did not
remotely dream of making a stand
against the troops. When they were
still several days march from Falken-
stein he shifted his headquarters over
to the little town of Klingenthal which
lies Immediately on the Bohemian
frontier
On the last day of his stay at
Klingenthal he made hay in two ways.
He sent a detachment of his forces
once more into Plauen to raise money
bS going into the leading restaurants
and emptying the pockets not only of
guests, but even of walters. Then at
Klingenthal ne summoned fifteen of
the leading manufacturers to con-
ference at the town hall, demanded Of
them 100000 marks before nightfall,
| 'tANA ioNhSh liACiu up as IoSldScS lllt IL
should be produced. Later he decided
TO let them go out and make their
arrangements to obtain the money. AT
the appointed hour they returned and
counted out the money for him on
the big center table.
Burns Mansions Before Quitting.
Before quitting Falkenstein Hoelz
had set fire to the mansions of five
leading manufacturers, after he had
been mulcting them for several weeks
to meet the expenses of his army
He also ordered the detachment that
went to Plauen to rob the restaurants,
that they also burn several fine villas
there, but this was apparently not
done; the valiant band contenting
themselves instead with piyaging sew
|