The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-07-16

with the faction committees" In the
vOgtland to put speedy end to
Hoelz's doings. This statement was
made at general meeting of the shop
councils Of Chemnitz whereupOn RESI-
olutiOn was adopted calling for arm.
ing the workmen and declaring shat
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
OF the more extreme socialists else
where. The independent socialists
either excused or openly encouraged
Hoelz. Their leading organ at Dres-
den declared that the wOrkmen would
resist an armed Intervention by every
possible means, and 1.-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 a
breach of party discipline. He was
acting contrary to the interests of
the revolutionary proletariat." "Pro-
letarian campaigns" this organ con.
,inued, "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 Fall
kenstein, Gradnauer decided with ex-
IRENE reluctance, that he would have
to ask the Berlin government to send
the Reichswehr against the maraud-
er. His hopes that the workmen in
the VOgtland would come and say:
''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 Mt first. The action com.
mittee there called four big meetings;
at which resolution against him was
to he 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 laboring people began to as.
sert themselves. At Chemnitz, the
decision Of the shop councils to call
a general strike in support Of Hoelz,
was nullified by large majority on
general vote of the entire labOring
population; and about the same time,
a 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 con-
ference Of socialists at Gera. attended
by delegates from many Thuringiar
towns, voted unanimously to demand
that the troops be recalled, otherwise
to declare q 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 were
sent In advance to scatter handbills
designed gently to sOOthe the fears
Of the workmen. Moreover, a 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
by going into the leading restaurants
and emptying the pockets not only Of
guests. but even of walters. Then Mt
klingenthal he summoned fifteen Of
the leading manufacturers to a con.
ference at the town hall. demanded Of
them 100000 marks before nightfall.
and locked them up rs hostages till it
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.