Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-09

CRISIS APPROACHES
By the Associates Press. ill
n LONDON, September 9.-Friday viii
be critical day in the history of theI
movement of Italian metal workesp
I which has resulted in the occupatio1.
OF many large industrial plants III
tnat country. says the Milan CORD.
! spondent of the Herald, organ of La.
. Grafton of Labor meets in Milan. and
II no decision is reached by then. the
I correspondent says. immediate action
may be taken by workers.
me ultimate aim Of the Fedora
lion OF Metal Workers, as well as the
Confederation of Labor" he declares.
rs Specialization of industry. and this
ann, now almost within tEeir grasp,
may at any moment oyershadow
90 s LOT wages Friday may we'll
pies to other industries of Italy"
i ZONE, September 9.-E6orts con-
tinue to bring about a solution of the
SITUATION which has arisen throughout
among metal workers to occupy
plants in many of the most impor-
tant industrial centers. The govern
nent mas been called upon to inter
| nene' put SO Tar has been neutral. and
II Is said by newspapers 1t will ACT
/ only to insure maintenance of order
reports received here indicate that
quiet prevails at all affected cenfers.
ana tnat engineers, foremen and cler-
IN STATS employed at occupied plants
ii reIuse to join the workers The
TACT that delegates from workmen,s
ana employers organizations are in
comm unication with each other is
aouheo upon as being favorable to an
adjustment of the situation.
II Is declared the majority Of III.
metal workers are Controlled nv At.
aene socialists. who are DESTROYS OF
SWING Inc movement a political char
acler, but responsible leaders Of the
pay are said to discourage such &
poncy. AT many places the workers
4 nave announced they are reaay III
convert themselves into co-onersfiv
socleties. which would undertake the
greet management OF works that
would NSvg p he ax occupied. pay rent which
posit the necessary guarantees
II Gdolttti Makes Statement.
I When he returned from his confer
ence with Premier Lloyd George at
Lucerne, Premier Giolitti issued q
statement referring to recent agree
ments between European socialists
ana Nikolai Lenin. Russian bolshevik
premier. and forecast those agree
ments might be forefunners Of active
revolutionary attempts, which would
soon occur in Italy. There 10 every
indication the present movement was
prepared deliberately and systemafi-
involve other trades beside metal
workers. The typical caution of the
italian peasants, however. made 1t
difficult to set any extended revolt
in motion, it is asserted.
In one plant which has been taken
over workers have come into poses
sion of 1900 quintals Of grain and de-
clared they would supply themselves
with bread in the event that bakers
refused to supply them without bread
cards. In many plants serious situ-
alton has arisen because of the fact
that the workers have armed them
selves.
Change Names Of Works.
II A Genoa dispatch to the Giornale
'td1talia says that in the entire indus
trial zone in that city the names OF
hd works or the have sass OF zee passs
calling them Communist Soviet
Works" In one plant. besides red aAd
black flags. the walls are decorated
with photographs Of Ienin. Jaures
!, and Marx. One hundred men form q
red guard" governed with the same
! disciplinary rule as the Italian army.
In the women's section Of the An
: saido works, the dispatch says, . mo-
tice has been posted reoomnending
the greatest seriousness TO the work
ers and threatening that those offend
ing against the public morals vii
, publicly be put to shame.
From the Westinghouse works IT
! yado, on the west side Of the Gulf Of
lGenoa, a powerful searchiight illu-
inmates the entire western Riviera
land Genoa to prevent any surprise
movement on the part of the authori-
ties.
\ The Giornale d.Italia publishes q
telegram from Sarzana which states
that Ignite mines OF Luina, employing
400 men, have been occupied BY
W rkers, neither the governor nor the
flags are waving over the mines. The
Iworkingmen directing the mines. 1T
is added. have put all the fuel required
II from them at the disposal Of their cal
leagues whe are occupying metal
works at Spezia-
4 Gino Baldesi. secretary of the Cen
eral Confederation Of Labor. speak
Il ing at Florence. said:
I "If the employers wish to prevent
a continuation of the struggle, which
compromise or what might better be
called an armistice might be con-
Il cluded- If, instead, they refuse our
proposal. they will be responsible for
4 a movement the extent and conSe-
/! quences of which it is impossible to
Il estimate"
| The secretary of the metal work
4 ers organization in Florence asked a
4 local firm which sells iron and steel
4 to deliver q certain amount OF mate
4 ial to works in Florence which have
/ been occupied by the men. The hPm
4 refused the request, but the work
4 men of the concern Immediately
\ warned the owner that IL the order
| were not delivered they would them
| selves occupy his plant The owner
| yielded to this.
Citizens Forced to Work.
| TURIN, September 9.-Three peaee-
| able, but curious citizens wandering
near the plant of the Fiat AUTOMOBILE
Company today were captured by
| metal workers. who were armed with
taken inside the plant, where they
were severely cross-ex1mtned and
searched by the workmen's tribunal.
which sentenced them to be set to
work at the furnaces. They were
stripped of their clothes. given work
mems blouses and compelled to labor
for eight hours in the furnace room,
where the temperature was above 100
degrees Fahrenheit
then taken again before the tribunal,
which expressed belief in their in
nocence, but compelled them to sign
a statement in which they declared
they subscribed to the principle that
workmen should arrest, search and
identify anybody approaching the
works.
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