The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-12


Wedding. in Berlin, demonstrate May
the Socialist Police Chief, ZOergiebel
tackled by the police.
At that moment the telephone rang
in the room Of the commander OF
the Berlin police at Alexanderplatz.
Paul had tried to pick up connec-
tiCn with the outside by telephone
from q shop during the attack. Every
where the responsible party functio-
na-ies we're engaged, in street work,
at meetings or elsewhere. At last he
get through to the parliamentary
fraction of the Party and gave-shots
were cracking outside-a short report
Of the situation in the alley.
Paul did not know that at the same
time the streets Of Neukoelln were
being defended by the workers in the
same way with barbados against the
arnored cars of the police. He did
not know that the police president
had long ago turned down the de-
mand of the fraction to withdraw
the police troops at once from the be-
leaguered workers quarters. Paul
was still firmly convinced that &hts
attack on the alley was an irrespons-
ible act of the officers in charge,
without the knowledge Of the centre.
On the strength of his report,
deputy NJ. made a renewed attempt
at about 10 O'Clock at night to get
into touch with the police presidiunl,
in order to demand the withdrawal
Of the police.
REFUSES TO STOP
BUTCHERY
The deputy commander, Colonel
Hellriegel, answered the telephone.
Are YOU aware of what is hap
pening at the present moment in the
Koesline~strasSe, colonel? Are you
aware of the fact that there is no
longer any kind of street fight, but
a senseless butchering Of the inhabit-
ants, such as we've not seen since
the time of the Anti-Socialist Laws?
We demand that you give orders for
the immediate withdrawal of your
troops!'
L am exceedingly sorry, sir, but
Commander Heimannsberg left
quarter of an hour ago to take pers-
onal charge of the situation, and
without his instructions am power
less to do anything in this matter"
IN that case you must get into
touch with the commander inmedi-
ately."
Il shall do So Please call again
in twenty minutes"
Twenty minutes ! 1t was ghast
" to think Of what could happen in
that space of time! How many
people would still be shot =? The
police president had given the Of
fcers fun power and everyone in
Berlin knew that for the present
they would not dream of giving up
that power again. Now at last they
had achieved their hearts desire. The
workers had been chased, battered to
the ground. shot down like mad dogs
and provoked, until they had begun
TO hit back. The "putsch" was in
sight! And suddenly to stop every
thing Just at this moment? Never!
A bourgeois journalist who desired
to speak with his personal acquaint-
ance, Major L. over the telephone at
the presidium, received the reply:
The ma jor is engaged at the 'front.'"
The Berlin police officers waiting
in the room Of the Police President
were full of the fighting spirit Of
wartime. They we're intoxicated with
the spirit Of the offensive. The Vice
President who did not think at all"
was absent on leave. To preserve his
easy conscience he had fled from the
scene of action. &C..
After twenty minutes the telephone
rang: We'll, colonel?"
I am in the position to inform you,
sir, that the police have been with
drawn from the KoSlinerstraSse.
Everything is quiet in that street.
But will you now please exert your
influence to prevent any further at
tacks on the police?"
Colonel, the workers have not dis
tWbed the peace once today or at
tacxed the police of their own accord.
We have merely demanded the right
OF demonstrating on the LIST of May,
as the workers have done for the past
forty years Nothing morel The work
ers have not commenced hostile &C
ton against the police once today
but you will find that their patience
has limit"
The suspicion Of the parliamentary
fraction was verified a few minutes
later. They we're informed by tele-
phone that the police far from having
withdrawn from the alley even for
few minutes. was raging in it as
before. The police report had been
pure deception
Not till many hours afterwards did
the situation calm down in the Kos
linerstrasse and the Neukolln fight
ing areas.
TOWARDS two in the morning the
L comrades met in the Red Room"
S.-ev shots were still heard from time
to time in the neighborhood Hang
ing from nail on the cupboard,
Hermanns oil-lamp sf1one on the
tired dirty faces in the smoke-fllled
room.
Sitting in the shadow on the edge
of the bed, Anna watched Kurt who
was writing at the table. Now and
then he looked up thoughtfully and
then wrote down a new line in his
slow, uneven hand.
In the Red Room" only the
scratching of the pen was to be heard
Paul came in last. Otto repre-
sented the Young Communists, broad
shouldered, big and good-humored in
his calmness, as usual. He touched