New-York tribune., 1921-03-30
Police Take Prisoners by
Thousands; Most of the
Rioters Are Equipped
With Russian Uniforms
Many Casualties
I'm Street Battles
Workers Block General
Strike Program; Unrest
Threatens New Areas
sa wireless to The Tribune

BERLIN. March 29.-The Communist
revolt in Central Germany has broken
down in the face of persistent meas
ures taken by the police, but the unrest
and disorders continue, and are show
ing a tendency to spread into districts
hitherto unaffected.
By several bold strokes the govern
ment forces have gained a decided ad-
vantage over the Reds, and the general
unwillingness of the workers to join
the strike movement strengthens the
expectation that all traces of the insur-
rection will be quickly wiped out.
Communist rioters clashed with the
police last night in Essen, the largest
manufacturing city in the Rhineland,
and in heavy street fighting fifteen
civilians were killed and thirty-four
wounded The Reds had called a gem
eral strike in Essen and were trying to
compel the workers to quit their jobs
and take up arms when the police
opened the attack. The governments
forces routed the COMMUNISTS. and are
in complete control. a detachment of
Reichswehr has arrived in Essen to as
sist the police in keeping order.
Ruhr Coal Fields Menaced
The Communist ferment is spreading
IN the Ruhr coal fields, where hereto
fore the workers have withstood all
efforts to get them 60 strike. The sit
nation has become so threatening that
the government has proclaimed martial
law IN the Muenster and Arnsberg dis
ticts. The Communists have taken
possession of Mettmann, near Elber-
field
At Dusseldorf the Entente military
authorities have returned some fire
arms to the German police to enable
them to cope with the situation and
ward off Communist attacks.
At .Ainmendorf south Of Halle, the
sDolice this morning surrounded the
railroad station, where 500 Communists
mad ensconced themselve and prepared
defensive work. After brief engage
ment the Reds surrendered. All OF
them, including the commanding officer
and his subordinates, were attired in
Russian army uniforms.
The police to-day also surrounded
and attacked the atmospheric nitrogen
works at Leuna, near Merseburg, cap
turing the Communist workers, who
had been in control there for five days.
Thousands Of prisoners, most Of them
youths, were taken by the police. The
Reds a. first sought to resist the sur
prise police attack, but were outma-
neuvered and quickly threw down their
arms. During the Red occupation the
nitrogen plant had continued to oper-
ate, with the result that great guam
titles of ammonia had accumulated.
The necessity is foreseen of turning
this into the river. in which case the
inhabitants of neighboring villages will
nave to evacuate in order to escape the
fumes.
Berlin Disorders Continue
Strike disorders continue in Berlin,
despite the precautions taken by the
military last night in erecting barri-
cades in Wilhelmstrasse and doubling
the guards about government buildings
The police reserves are being held
ready for immediate action. The Com
munists this morning attacked a street
railway car barn and tried to prevent
the cars from going out, but the police
arrived and restored order An at
tempt by Reds to wreck train in the
suburbs last night by cutting signal
wires was foiled by the discovery by
signalman of the defect in the mech
anism. An effort to blow up an cleo
tric power house in Berlin also was
blocked. The government has been
frankly alarmed by the Red activities in
the capital and is taking strenuous
steps to reduce the menace to public
safety.
At Bitterfeld, the center of the lig-
nite industry and one of the principal
sources of electricity supply for Ber-
lin, the Communists are continuing the
agitation for general strike. A Red
army detachment, consisting of mere
boys, took possession of the railroad
station there and held up and looted
Trans for several hours until the police
Tegained possession of the station.
Passengers were subjected to many an
hoyances until the police arrived.
AT Leipsic the Communists gave out
general strike order intended to be
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