Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-07-01

az the first attempt Of the government
TO send troops through Chemnitz. The
executive committee had promised sew
eral days before this that II would set
tie the YOgtland troubles by peaceable
means, and Minister Gradnauer was
still promising mild treatment for
HOelz and his gang.
! This attitude of organized labor at
Chemnitz corrcspOnded to the attitude
Of the more extreme socialists else
where. The Independent socialists
either excused or openly encouraged
HOelz. Their leading organ at Ores
den declared that the wOrkmen would
resist an armed intervention by every
possible means, and '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
linued, Require closed ranks at the
battlS front, obedience TO general or
derss 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-
treme 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 Yogtland 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 at first The action COM
mittee there called four big meetings; |
at which resolution against him was
to be 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
4 general strike in support of Hoelz,
was nullitied by a large majority on
general vote of the entire laboring
and about the same time,
4 conference of the communists at
Jhemnitz voted to expel him from
heir party. On the other hand about |
he time when the troops were drawing :
heir net around Vogtland con-
erence of socialists at Gera, attended
" delegates. from many ThuringiaR :
owns, voted unanimously to demand t
- tile troops be recalled, otherwise
: declare general strike for all Ger
daTly.
Hoped to Make Escape.
But the troops gradually gathered
round the Vogtland, coming in with
many apologies and explanations on
he part of the Dresden government
nd the general. Airplanes were
emit in advance to scatter handbills
esigned gently to goethe the fears
f the workmen. Moreover, civil
was sent along with the
oops to restrain their thirst to kill
D sight Hoelz and his band.
Hoelz scented the danger from afar,
ut he made good use of the few days II
grace still left him. He did not OF
.motely dream of making a stand
sainst the troops. When they were w
i'll Several days march from Falken- 70
elm ne shifted his headquarters over :,
the little town of Klingenthal, which
Is Immediately on the Bohemian =,
ontier. ~
On the last day of his stay at -
Iingenthal he made hay in two ways.
g sent a detachment Of his forces -
ce more into Plauen to raise money
going into the leading restaurants
d emptying the pockets not only Of
ests, but even of walters. Then at
ingenthal he summoned fifteen of
e leading manufacturers to a con-
ence at the town hall, demanded of
I'm 100000 marks before nghtfall,
d locked them up as hostages till it
Duld be produced. Later he decided
let llelu ~ Out ana Hldke lueiE Il
to obtain the money At =.
, appointed hour they returned and
Inted out the money for him on
J big center table.
Burns Mansions Before Quitting.
Before quitting Falkenstein Hoelz
1 set fire to the mansions of five
ding manufacturers, after he had
N mulcting them for several weeks
meet the expenses of his army"
also ordered the detachment that
ut to Plauen to rob the restaurants,
t they also burn several fine villas
re, but this was apparently not
e the valiant band contenting
mselves instead with pillaging sew
homes.
IS the troops closed in on the scene
var they began to make captures of
,lz's Red guards, all stuffed with
en- money. There was a sort of
'mish somewhere, in which Hoelz
engaged until things grew too hot