Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-21
ITALY USES TROOPS
TO CURB STRIKERS
AND GUARD TRAINS
Great Railway Strike Said to
Have Taken on Revolution
airy Character.
MARTIAL LAW RULES
IN PRINCIPAL CITIES
Catholics Refuse to Join in Walk
out-Situation Reported
Improved. ~.

ROME, January 2I.-Improvement
was reported today in the situation
caused by the extensive strike of the
Italian railwaymen which has affected
large sections of the country since early
this week.
IL was announced that a sufficient
number of employees had reported for
work this morning TO make it unneces-
sarE to have recourse to the military
in order to move trains.
The press in general has taSenL a
STAND against the strike movement. and
tie newspaper reports represent pubiic
seltimene similarly adverse.
Military forces occupied the central
railway station in this city at mid
night by order of the minister OF trans
poTtauon. In spite of the strike mos
o. the regular trains left here yestef-
day. only expresses being Cancelled
All railroad lines in Italy are being
guarded by troops who are under in
structcns TO fire upon amy one sus-
pected of attempting to interfere with
traffic
The movement is assuming revolrt ton
airy character. and the government is
mtrusting the maintenance of order
to the military. =
Troops Guard stations.
ROME, January 2e.-The government
9
cupy the railway stations and guard
them with machine guns, as a result of
the decision OF the railway men to strike
later i'm the daH. Energetic measures
are to be taken to maintain order.
Gatherings of the populace have bsen
prohibited.
PARIS. January 2l-Northern and
central Italy are IN the grip of a gem
erai railway strike. but southern Italy
is not so seriously affected. according
TO the Turin correspondent of the Petit
Parisien. The Italian government was
able TO run a few trains over the prin-
cipal lines yesterday, the trains being
heavily guarded by troops armed with
! machine guns.
Martial LAW Enforced.
Martial law is enforced in the prirf-
! cipal cities of the country, the streets
t of which are patrofied by cavalry and
arc under the guns of artillery units, II
10 sand. Stores. theaters and all places
! OF business are ordered TO close at y
O'Clock in the evening, and every one
is forbidden 70 use automobiles or BIZ
cycles. fp5ice authorities have ordered
the masnetos OF all automobiles confis-'
Gated TO prevent the strikers using the
machines.
Relative calm prevailed yesterday
there being few acts of sabotage. The
only disorders are reported from
Genoa, where shots were fired a; a
train.
Catholics Refuse to Join.
LONDON. January 2l-Cathoncs
have refused TO participate in the
! Italian railroad strike and as a result
the walkout is not supported in the
southern sections of Italy.
Heavy military patrols have been
placed in the cities of Milan. Turin
and Genoa, according to an Exchange
Telegraph Company dispatch from
Milan.
Wire Com icntion Cut.
TRIESTE. January 10 tby the Asso-
ciated Press).-Sa botage incident to
the strike Of railway employees has
interrupted wire communicable be-
tween seventeen of the larger cities
of Italy and also is affecting the In
ternational telegraph and telephone
lines. The strike is most widespread
in northern Italy, where army line
men are attempting to repair the
wires. A bomb exploded in the rail-
way station at Naples. injuring three
persons