Evening star., 1920-03-23
GERMANY'S REDS
BATTLE REGULARS
IN WESEL REGION
More Than 300 Killed in e.
berfeIdHFamine Threat.
ems Cities.
RADICALS HOLD WHOLE
OF INDUSTRIAL SECTION
Disaster Declared Inevitable-All-
Labor Government Proposed.
Allies Hands-0f Policy.
By the Associated Press

Labor Government Proposed.
Allies Hands-0f Policy.
By the Associated Press.
AK-LA-CHAPELLE, Rhenish Prue-
sia. March 23.-Another battle is re-
ported to be going on between spar
tacans and troops Of the regular army
at Wesel. twenty-five miles northwest
of Essen. The regulars. the report
says. appear to have been outfianked
by the spartacans.
800 Die In Fighting.
BERN. March 23.-More than 800
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 Reichswehr prisoner at Elber-
field. 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 lighting
is continuing in some places. Fresh
estimates OF the communist forces
place them at from 10000 to 100000.
Famine IL Threatening.
Famine Is declared to be threaten
ing Bochum. Dortmund. Dusseldorf
and Elberfeld. because the peasants
are refusing to deliver food to the
communists. Encounters already have
occurred between peasants and pa
trolls Of communists which were out
in the country requisitioning sup
plies.
The hospitals at Elberfeld are full
Of wounded soldiers and civilians ~
the result Of the fighting in that neigh
borhood.
Conhiet at Halle.
COPENHAGEN, March 93.-A Lelp-
zig telegram received here last night
says that fighting at Halle and in the
neighborhood of that place continues
with undiminished violence, both the
troops and the workers forces using
artillery. Halle has. been completely
cut Oft from the outside world,
The whole wsstera industrial district
OF Gerrany 10 held solidiy BY ra6i-
government TROOPS try to interfere
ssyss sssrs sS thR as0fmaHn noraime fs By
teiebhoHt ny the BeriinEske Tidende.
The Social Dsmokraten learns that
purely workers' government Is on
point Of formation. without co-opera-
ton with the bourgeois parties.
RuAr valley Situation.
LONDON, March 23.-rhe situation
in the Ruhr valley. the stronghold
of the German reds. is expected in
diplomatic and military. circles here
to remain virtually unchanged until
the peace confefees in London decide
whether German government troops
shall be allowed in that district.
The conference had before ii yes
terday protest oy C1ecnosiovakss
"a decision, and put over to today the
youestion whether the valley should be
allowed to remain as ii is or il the
Czech protest should be overridden.
This is the only instance where the
entente may take a hand in the Ger
man disorders, and then only because
Germany under the provisions of the
treaty Of Versailles does not control
that section OF the country. 1t is
maintaining a hands-off policy. not
withstanding the recurring reports
that the British mission in Berlin is
attempting to dictate to the Ebert
government.
state that the reds in the Ruhr val
lev possess no effective artillery or
tanks, but are plentifully supplied
with rifles.
For Labor Government.
The proposal put before Gustav
Bauer, the German premier. for the
formation of a labor government for
Germany, excluding the bourgeois
parties, was advanced by the inde-
pendent socialists. the Exchange Tel
eeraph correspondent at Berlin re-
ports. He adds:
THE majority of the people would
undoubtedly vote AGAINST such a pro-
posal, fearing it would result in
proletarian dictatorship.
"If such a government were formed
il would have either to ignore the ma
tional assembly or else retire as soon
as it came into conflict with the ma
iority of the peoples representatives.
which would be almost certain to hap
pen upon the introduction of it's So
cialistic proposals.
Premier Bauer informed the inde-
nendents that it would be necessary
to consult all the parties before an an
swer could be given"
Concentrate Near WeseL
LONDON, March 22.-Latest reports
from Germany show that state and
government troops are concentrating
near Vessel to move against the ex-
tensfve districts now occupied by
communists. says Rotterdam dis
match to the. London Times. On the
o,her hand. the communists are mob
ilizfne after the method of the Rus
SLAMS with great speed. and IL is i'm
nossible to prophesy the issue of the
Coming battle. or when 1t will be
Fought. The communists are hampered
hv a lack of food. one report saying
thew have supplies for only three
daVs and that when this is consumed
II is anticipated they will proceed TO
roh the country districts.
The dispatch quotes a message from
a correspondent of the TELEGRAPH de-
scribing the conquest OF Essen by the
AS far back as Thurs
day. he says, there were fights be-
tween the reds and government sol
diers in the suburbs of Essen, but the
city itself continued quiet and normal
The strike had been declared of and
there had resumed work
On Friday morning there were ru-
mors of an advance by the workers
army from Bochum and Gelsenkir-
chen. and the government troops were
drawn up on the outskirts of the
town, waiting for the advance. Spar
tacfst units, at q prearranged signal
oyercame the sentinels and heavy
fighting ensued, a number being kill
ed. some estimates placing the losses
AFT l50 One section OF government