Evening star., 1920-01-14
RE|CHSTAG RIOTS
BRING ON MARTIAL
LAW IN GERMANY
Ten Killed and Many Wound
ed When Troops Fire on
Berlin MobS.
FATALITIES MAY EXCEED
ANNOUNCED FIGURES
Extremists Lead Throng of 10000
on Parliament in Protest of In
dustrial Councils Bill

on Parliament in Protest of In
dustrial Councils Bill.
! BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN. January 13. p.m.-The gov
ernment tonight proclaimed martial law
in all sections of Germany following th-
mob demonstration this afternoon in
which at least ten persons were kill
| ed and. many others were wounded
by machine gun fire from guards in
front Of the reichstag building.
Gustav Noske, the minister of de-
fense, has been appointed command
/ erin chief for the Greater Berlin dis
trict and Brandenburg province.
Street parades. meetings and demon
strations of all kinds have been pro-
hibited.
Fatalities May Grow.
While the number of dead was an
nounced ten early this evening it
seems probable that the fatalities will
exceed this total. Some of the wound
ed lay in the Tiergarten for a con-
! siderable time after the shooting. al
though many were carried off quickly
by the sanitary corps and placed in
nearby hospitals.
Several Troops Missing.
The government admits the loss of
| one member of the troop of guards
| killed in the fighting. while several
are missing.
The big oak-panel door, which gives
access to the west wing of the reichs-
| tag building, was smashed during the
attempted rush. 1t was the prompt
resistance of the public security
troops on guard that prevented in
gress, which would have resulted in
the invasion of the chamber by the
mob. Through this door a Iarge-cali
ber bullet. fired from the ranks of the
mob, found it's way, and also passed
through a second door into the lobby
crowded with members.
Members Not MoIe.ted.
Tonight's Noskes troops placed
rifiemen with barb-wire Gordon
throughout the downtown streets The
forced patrol. The Wilhemstrasse was
barred to all traffic and the govern
ment building was virtually mac
cessible except to those employed
there.
The Inter den Linden entrance to
the Hotel Adlon Was closed and dark
) ened. The members of the assembly
were not molested as they left the
| reichstag building after Adjournment
was taken.
Organized by Extremfsts.
The mob organized by extremists as
a protest against the industrial coun-
ellis bill now before the reichstag be-
gan to gather this morning. BY noon
! every street leading to the Tiergarten
was crowded with masses Of reople
carrying red flags an6 p,aoarLs.
AnticiDating a demonstra tioI before
the reichstag building, The authorities
had surrounded the building with
public security guards and mac hin"
gunners, who barred approx III to this
edifice. AS time passed the crowd
was joined by striking tram en-
Iployes, and soon infiammatory speeches
were begun by agitators.
Soviet Banners Flown.
When the reichstag convened AT 3
o'clock the crowd surrounding The
building was estimated at 10000 end
new delegations of wor6in+ peonie
carrying red flags and banners in
scribed with the words. "A!i power 10
the soviets" continued TO arrive
Troop reinforcements IN huge motor
trucks were added 20 the guards on
duty. but only one arrest had bee
made since noon. The msn taken into
custody is said to have shouted.
Down with NoSke.
Attempts were made by the guards
to quietly disperse the mob, but IL
was needless of warnings. At last
the mob. regardless of the machine
eunners and other defenders of the
building, made rush against the po-
lice lines, trying to disarm the guards
and disable the machine guns when
it was seen the mob could not De
checked in any other way fire was
onened on it. The shooting was st
close range and the front of the build
ing was Uttered with dead ana
wounded. The most severe casua ities
were inflicted on the crowd which ap-
preached from the Simonstrasse sue
of the structure. Order was soon re-
| stored.
Crowd Runs Before Fire.
Rihe and machine gun fire Was
opened on the mob at $40 o'clock and
lasted five minutes 1t was most Sc
we're around the west portal of the
building. Later the correspondent OF
the Associated Press counted at least
! twenty men lying in The outskirts OF
the Tiergarten, apparently Wouhoea-
When the troops began firing Inc
crowd ran pellmell in all directions
! At the sound of the guns members
! of the lower house of the seichstag
| left the assembly chamber and crowd
| ed into the lounging room. where
| there was intense excitement
Proyocation for firing upon the
crowd was furnished by its attempt
! to storm the west entrance OF the
building. A score of men aftacked
several guards and wrenched their RI
hes away from them Just as soldiers
/ rushed up, anu tHeI schcidi hiiH6
! gan. When the mob ran into the
street fronting the south side of the
| edifice soldiers stationed there sus-
pected they would be attacked and
Immediately opened a fusillade. Six
slightly wounded civilians were car
ried into the reichstag building, q
dozen others were transferred to the
guardhouse near the Brandenburg
gate and a number were carried of
by members of the sanitary corps.
Great Confusion ReiEns.
The reichstag temporarily adjourned
amid great confusion. President
Fehrenbach was obliged to leave the
chair, but was unable to control the
situation Members of various parties
engaged in violent recriminations, and
members of the cabinet left the cham
her. A shot fired from a point directly
in front of the Bismarck monument
entered the huge glass door leading
to the lobby, which was crowded with
agitated deputies. The bullet passed
a few feet from the spot where the
correspondent was in conversation
with Herr Stresemann. a national lib
eral member of the reichstag.
When the troops dispursed the
crowd outside the building they eX-
tended their Gordon in the direction of
Unter den Linden. where throngs filled
the street. An officer who chanced
along was severely beaten by the
crowd.
Chamber Ii Adjourned.
After a short recess the house Wis
IDLY quieted down and President Feht.
renbach rising from his seat told the