Evening star., 1922-02-19
GERMANY is THREATENED
BY OPPRESSED WORKzME,N
Gene'ulStHke Declared In,pendingas O officials
Who Rose to Power on Backs Of Common
People Now Turn Against Them.

balls and off1cial waste. Neither
Poincare nor Foch can talCe from US,
or wish to take away, what we do not
possess OF can't produce by our labor.
which SO harmed Germany before,
during and after the war, have thrust
the German railway and municipal
strike into the background. But the
strike spirit will not down.
For centuries h social r,sht dsm0erats 10 ths
railway or municipal officda1 to strike.
The Weimar constitution granted It
to all citizens. In March. 1920. Pres
ident Ebert and six of his co-parti-
sans, now in high Office. called upon
all federal and municipal officials to
paralyze the nations economic life
and thus enable Ebert & CO.. who
had fed from the capital, to return
to their comfortable offices.
Compelled to Resume Work.
Now the same officials declare that
such strikes are punishable onenses,
and as strikers were not strong
enough. not clever enough to per-
suade the public that the transpor-
tation. electric, water and gas stop
page was the sole fault of the presi-
dent and his cabinet, who arrogantly
refused direct negotiations, the poor
men have been compelled with poison
bombs TO resume WOFK.
Dire misery and the governments
unscrupulous decision to increase
bread and coal prices from 30 to 10
per cent and cause all prices to rise
through added business taxes. which
were promptly passed on to the Gus.
toners. thus creating the tllusion or
an attempt to raise money Tor the
reparations. were what drove these
men to strike.
The symptoms now are temporarily
suppressed, but the disease turks In
the blood.
The bitterness Of the workingmen
is terrible. and 1t is impossible to
They see a little ex-innkeeper now
president of the state, living in q
great palace, drawing q big salary.
entertaining money magnates ana
cinema kings. giving dinners and
parading in a grand automobile
They see him sending his daughter.
formerly a distillery employe. to col
lege But they never see a man who
himself organized many strikes. but
who now confiscates union funds, ar
rests union leaders and threatens
strike incitement with dire punish
ment.
Danger OF Strike.
They see former workmen. union
secretaries. schoolmasters and coun-
try editors in the ministry, with
100000 marks salary, living In
gorgeous official residences, riding in
rich motors. indulging in festivities,
balls and gluttony, and hear these
very men. who promised them an
earthly paradise, publicly condemn
misery-bread strikes as crime
against the German people.
Is it not comprehensive that the
working classes curse those who have
climbed to the heights on their
shoulders, and who. now sitting at
their full managers. don't care straw
for the misery of the people?
If government vengefulness con-
tinues. if old government servants
are dismissed merely for picketing
and distributing circulars. then a new
general strike is unavoidable. II this
strike comes, many of those who are
now in the uniform upon which the
government depends. will be found in
the ranks of the strikers-in the poor
peoples army.
Copyright, 1sc2.)