The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-23
WEST GERMAN
INDUSTRY IN
GRIP OF REDS
Situation Quiet in Other Cen
tres and People Going Back
to Work, Says Dispatches
Radicals Powerful.
WORKERS FORM SOVIET
(By Associated Press)

COPENHAGEN, March 23 The
whole western industrial district Of
Germany is held solidly by radicals
and disaster is inevitable if the gov
ernment troops try to interfere there,
according to information received
from Berlin this morning by telephone
by the Berlingske Tidende.
The Social Demokraten learns that
a purely workers government is on
point of formation, without coopera-
tion with the Bourgeoise parties.
Work was resumed in the shipyards
at Hamburg yesterday, according to
dispatches received here and a tele
gram from Kiel says that workmen
there have decided to resume their
posts in the most essential public SER
vices.
Strikers in Leipsic and Breslau
have ended and postal and railway
services are being resumed in both
cities, which are quiet, according to
adviceS received here.
BERNIE, March 23.-More than 300
persons have been killed in the fight
Ing at Elberfeld, in the Ruhr region
near the occupied zone, and in the
neighborhood of that city, according
to today's advices from western Ger
many. The communists took about
500 of the capital Reichswehr prison
ers at Eberfeld, and 200 additional at
another point.
The dispatches bear out previous re-
ports that nearly the entire industrial
district Of Westphalia is in the hands
of the communists, although fighting
is continuing in some places. Fresh
estimates of the communists forces
place them at from 10000 to 100000.
Famine Threatens Towns.
Famine is declared to be threaten
ing Bochum, Dortmund, Duesseldorf
and Elberfeld, because the peasants
are refusing to deliver food to the
communists. Encounters already have
occurred between peasants and patrols
of communists which were out in the
country requisitioning supplies.
LA-CHAPELLE, Rhenish Prus-
sia, March 23.-Another battle is re-
ported to be going on between Spar
tacans and troops of the regular army
at Wesel, % miles northwest of Essen.
The regulars, the report says, appears
to have been outflanked by the Spar.
tacans.
BERLIN, March 23.-The city now
is becoming normal. The postal serv-
ices Afe working, stores are open and
electricity is aval.able to enable the
. small factories to operate. The city
and circle railroads have been resum-
ed operation but the elevated has not
resumed. =
The following provincial reports
were received today: Quedlinburg,
Saxony: There has been violent fight
ing between troops and Spartacans
Both suffered severe losses.
Halle-on-Saale: The town is held by
government troops after an artillery
battle lasting for several days.
Madgeburg, Saxony: Work has been
resumed. The street cars and rail-
roads are running regularly.
Orders Punishment.
The Prussian government has order
ed disciplinary proceedings, with
immediate suspension from office
against August Winning, president of
East Prussia, and three other officials
of the Koenigsburg government. Sim.
liar measures will be taken against
President Paule and one other official
tOf the province of Schleswig.
Troops Are Moving.
An automobile trip made by the
correspondent Of The Associated Press
Sunday afternoon through the indus
trial district in the eastern outskirts
of Berlin, which during Saturday night
was the scene of several clashes be-
tween troops and spartacans, brought
to light the extensive military prepara-
tions that had been made to cope with
the activities of the Reds there
The suburb of Kopenick, just east
ward of Johanhisthal and Aldershof
where occurred Sanguinary encounters
Saturday evening had become a big
military camp. The correspondent
l. saw at least dozen camouflaged
field pieces and numerous machine
guns and supplies of ammunition and
stores of all kinds.
The principal fighting yesterday
evening was precipitated by an at
tempt of the soldiers to seize ben
zine plant near Aldershof The dis.
trict was quiet today but further
trouble was expected.
Machine Guns Mounted
Returning to the city. the automo.
bile passed long string of armored
cars mounting machine guns and truck
loads Of soldiers going to reinforce the
cncamped troops. Only in the outlv.
ing districts was the military conspic.
uous. Profiting by the hostile recep
tion the public gave Wolfgang Kapps
iNdllIC SplulSTS, lHe government is
Keeping its troops in the background
rs much as possible.
Military authorities are blamed by
the government press for recent dis
orders, it bcing asserted that they
and the troops were so nervous that
they lost their morale
Nerve Was Plumb Gone.
Soldiers were so nervous over Boil
shevism," says statement issued by
the Bureau. that whenever they saw
four of five persons approaching them
in a group they would jump to the
conclusion that they were Reds, and
would start trouble"
Assertion is made that there is nc
indication of reorganized Red army
and it is said that the government is
\ doing its utmost to reassure the Ber
lin public. Owing to non-political
strikes of printers, employees of tram
roads and the SUBWAY and others
which nreyent the issuance of news