Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-14
GERMANY UNDER MARTIAL LAW;
NEW MAY HEAR VERDICT TODAY
RED ASSAULT
ON REICHSTAG
FATAL TO y
Situation Serious, but Not of
Revolt Proportions, Of
ficiaIs Assert.
GUARD ALLIED MISSIONS

BERLIN, Jan IA state Of siege
throughout all Germany except the
southern part and the areas occupied
by allied troops was declared today
by President Ebert, following the at
tack upon the Reichstag building
Tuesday by independent socialists
and communists, when twenty-five
persons were killed. Fifty or more
were wounded.
Troops supported by machine guns
were rushed to the defense of the Reichs-
| tag building by Herr Noske, minister of
| defense (war minister).
While the situation is admittedly seri-
Gus, it has not reached the gravity of a
revolution, officials say. The independent
| socialists who staged yesterdays demon
| stration are openly aiming and working
| for a revolution.
| NUMBER OF DEAD
I OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED.
| The announcement that twenty two
persons were killed in the fighting be-
! tween mobs and troops around the
Reichstag building was made at o'clock
| Tuesday/afternoon by Herr Frehnbach,
an official of the national assembly and
former president of the reichstag.
| The government states that "the dem
| onstrations have been quelled."
| 1t is estimated that $4,000 communists
and Independent socialists, most Of them
/ working men who left the factories to
| take part in the demonstration, surged
/ through the Under den Linden and about
| the Reichstag building.
] Immediately after the fighting II was
/ hot had hao
After the demonstrators had been
/ driven off the bodies were carried into the
! court adjoining the Reichstag building.
! STREETS RESEMBLE
BATTLE SCENE.
The streets about the Reichstag build
( ing today resembIed a battle scene with
/ barbed wire entanglements, troops on
sentry duty and machine guns posted at
/ strategic points Reinforcements of ma
chine guns and light artillery were held
/ in reserve in the event of a fresh out
| break Of fighting.
Military guards were also thrown about
/ the Adlon hotel, where the members Of
the allied missions are living.
The majority of the members Of the
national assembly were attending the
session of that body when the indepen-
dent socialists and communists made
i their first attempt 70 storm the Reiehs-
tag building. There was a heavy burst
/ Of firing outside which quickly put an
end to the deliberations.
DR.. Ahrens, formerly an attache Of
the German embassy at Washington, and
several other members were on their
I way to the building, when they were
caught in the line of fire All escaped.
RAILWAY STRIKE
/ DISORDERS REPORTED.
Disorders in the Ruhr district and in
/ Upper Silesia in connection with the
| railway strike, also are reported. The
government is determined TO use every
i means to suppress the strike, it was an
nOunced.
The railway strikers have succeeded
In cutting off telegraphlc communication
! from western Germany, where the strike
has been most successful.
Rumors that the communists would
I take advantage of The situation to call
la general strike in an attempte 10 over
! throw the government are current.
/ OUTBREAK DUE
TO GOVERNMENT POLICY.
! The outbreak here was believed to be
a direct result Of the governments new
policy of allowing peaceful demonstra-
/ tons Many leaders pointed out It
would have been impossible had Gustav
! Noske, minister Of defense, continued his
] former policy Of ruthless quelling of all
attempts at radical demonstrations.
/ Reports here indicated the outbreak
was widespread. Rioting has occurred
at Hambron, in Rhenish Prussia, whers
mobs were said to have rushed the town
hail. destroying the records. Similar
riots occurred in villages In the Ham
born district.
The worst of the fighting was oyer at
4 o'clock, but new outbreaks were feared
! for some time Scattered mobs continued
to straggle through the streets The
red flag was in evidence in some
! quarters.
The immediate occasion Of the out
/ burst, 1t was said was consideration OF
a measure to create factory councils by
! the reichstag. 1t grew out Of the wide
spread demands Of radicals for communi-
cation OF industry.
| Independent socialists complained the
measure did not meet the workers needs
and an appeal was published in Die
1 Freiheit calling for a demonstration.
| Union members were asked to meet in
front of the reichstag at 8 O'Clock in the
afternoon.
After the rioting some union leaders
said the newspapers appeal was not au-
! thorized