Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-07
POLICE, RIOT STEPS
DEFENDED BY CHIEF
Berlin Official Declares Stern
Measures to Crush Reds
Were Justified.
By the Associated Press.


BERLIN. May 7.-Dr Carl Zoer-
giebel. chief of police, issued a state
ment today in defense of vigorous meas
ures adopted by the constabulary to
crush Communist May day demonstra-
tons.
He declared the police measures were
fully justified and necessary for the pro-
lection of the interests Of the great
majority of German laborers, who, he
said, were not in the least connected
with the uprising"
Tried to Avoid BloOdshed.
His statement added the police had
been instructed specifically to do every
thing possible to avoid bloodshed. The
fire hose even, he said, had been used
for the first time in Berlin's history.
with the result that until the evening
of May l nothing unusual occurred in
any section of Berlin with the excep-
ton of Hackscher Market. where there
was one wholly accidental DEATH"
The statement continued: "On the
evening of May the situation sudden
ly changed. The police we're not only
pelted with cabbages, glasses, bottles
and stones, but also were shot at. The
police tried to brighten their attackers
by firing in the air, but it was with no
success.
"The police could not have acted
otherwise than they did, and no one
with a spark of a sense of justice could
ask them to go against the sharpshoot-
ing rioters with only clubs and fire hose.
If blaze is so dangerous as that in
Neugoelln and Wedding, it threatens
to spread to other sections of the city
and there is nothing else left to do eX-
cept use all means TO preserve peace
and order.
Regrets Injury to Bystanders.
"That bystanders were injured is ex-
ceedingly regrettable, but in the last
analysis we must consider the view
point of the decent laborers, who were
not in the least connected with the
uprising and had the right to demand
the fire be quenched as soon as pos
sible.''
Police made short shrift today of
hearings OF those arrested May day.
Nearly all of those still held were freed
as undeserving of longer detention.
About rs were still to be heard.
Plan to Block Violence.
Police today planned measures de-
signed to prevent recurrence of violence
when 81 Communists killed in post-May
day riots at Neukoelln and Wedding
are buried tomorrow in a single grave.
It was announced there would be
no interference with the funeral itself
and even with political demonstra-
ton at the cemetery, following inter-
ment, but that the constabularly would
crush promptly any demonstration on
the streets.
General belief was that any strike
which occurred at pm. tomorrow
as a result of the Communist head
quarters call for general walk-out
would be of small consequence. Nearly
all of the workers who struck last week
in protest at police treatment of the
Communists in Neukoelln and Wedding
have returned to work.
Communist members in the Prus-
sian Diet introduced a motion of no
confidence in Premier Braun and Min
lister of the Interior GrzeSinski. The
motion demanded the dismissal of Chief
of Police Zoergiebel immediate with
drawal of forces from the contested
areas, release of all Communists now
under arrest. and resembling of the
order prohibiting demonstrations in the
streets.
OF 1875 persons held under arrest for
participation in the disturbances of
last week 80 were arraigned today
on charges of violation of the peace
and open rebellion. The examination
Of the remainder was continuing.
Danzig has reported crisis between
Communists and police there, with a
number of rioters dubbed and others
arrested.