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Show NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS Germany Has Communist Revolt Resembling in Some Phases -Affair of Year Ago. MEAT STRIKE COMPROMISED Foreign and Domestic Pressure for League of Nations More Elastic Rulings on Volstead Law Trouble Over Vote in Upper Silesia Soviet Russia Wishes to Trade in U. S. i By E. F. CLIPSON. March madness again seized Germany Ger-many a few days more than one year after the troubles Instigated by Doctor Kapp and General von Luettwitz in 1920. Although the Kapp-Luettwitz affair speedily was suppressed it was followed by communist uprisings similar simi-lar to the ones now taking place. Last year It started with a monarchist tinge. This time the movement appears ap-pears to be almost entirely communistic, commu-nistic, financed, it is charged, by Russian Rus-sian gold. Industrial districts of middle Germany Ger-many contain the center of the disturbances dis-turbances which threaten the great ammonia, potash, anthracite and copper cop-per works. Involved are the important impor-tant cities, Dresden, Leipzig, Freiburg, Frei-burg, Plauen, Halle, Mansfield, Els-leben Els-leben and a number of smaller places. Outside these areas the large shipping city of Hamburg has been the scene of violent occurrences. Dynamite has been used extensively by the revolutionaries, and various town halls and other public buildings have been damaged. In several cases prisons were stormed and their inmates in-mates liberated. Banks have been blown up in a few places and their safes raided. Some armories and ammunition am-munition stores have also fallen into the hands of the communists. Fighting Fight-ing behind barricades and the use ot barb wire entanglements have been features. Although the loss of life has been considerable both among the government govern-ment forces and the mutineers, while the latter have gained control of important im-portant areas and violence, robbery and virtual anarchy prevail in many places, the trouble so far does not appear ap-pear to equal that of last year. The fact that it is confined mostly to Prussian Prus-sian Saxony, the center of radicalism in Germany, does not indicate that it will not spread. As a result of the Washington conference, con-ference, and as anticipated, the packing pack-ing Industry strike resulted in a compromise. com-promise. Representatives of the workers work-ers agreed to accept the wage reductions reduc-tions while the packers agreed to retain re-tain the eight-hour workday with overtime over-time rates as fixed by a previous arbitration, ar-bitration, and to extend the wartime arbitration agreement for six months until Sept. lo. This puts off prospects of a strike for at least six months unless un-less the workers by general consent repudiate the action of their representatives. repre-sentatives. Meanwhile the principal packers state they will go ahead with their plans to democratize, the plants, Institute shop councils, etc.. In an experiment ex-periment against future strife. The question of American participation participa-tion In the League of Nations continues con-tinues to bob up. Notwithstanding the pre-election platform of the Republican Re-publican party, Mr. Harding's campaign cam-paign and inauguration utterances, and the result of the election Itself, having hav-ing put a supposedly definite quietus on the matter, strong influences from foreign nations and economic forces at home are being exerted toward securing American entry Into some sort of covenant; possibly a mxllfica-tiiHi mxllfica-tiiHi of the one adopted at Paris. Former Premier Vivianl of France and Stephwi I.auzanne, a representa tive Parisian journalist, visitors to this country, during the next three weeks will be in conference with President Harding, Secretary of State Hughes, other cabinet members and. a number of senators and representatives. The great question agitating" Washington Washing-ton Is the extent to which their influence in-fluence will prevail in formulating the peace program which the President shall submit to the coming extra session ses-sion of congress. Domestic economic considerations are involved in the fact that a return to normal conditions requires a market, mar-ket, for American products abroad, a stabilizing of exchange rates and the establishing of a more settled state of affairs in Europe. Influences are not lacking, both inside and outside the administration, to point out that these things cannot be achieved without the strong support of the United States, acting in a league or some sort of definite de-finite agreement with other countries. A big straw In the strong wind of foreign influence is seen in a recent decision of Great Britain to bring a speedy termination to the Mesopo-tamian Mesopo-tamian problem by admitting the United States into full rights with nationals na-tionals of the League of Nations in exploiting the oil resources of the Asiatic country. Such conditions and influences confront the President and the,-new congress, and the question is being freely propounded if, under the circumstances, the administration can afford to definitely turn down some form of a league. New York has taken a straightforward straightfor-ward method of dealing with the rent problem by releasing from taxation for ten years homes upon which construction con-struction ' shall begin before Aprii 1, 1922. This strikes at the heart of the question in that it is a virtual guarantee guar-antee against construction losses. If property comes down in price as a result re-sult of lower material and labor costs, the owner of a home will have compensation com-pensation In the form of tax elimination. elimina-tion. The maximum tax exemption is $5,000, which restricts the benefit to the type of home sought by people of small means. Already a boom in home building is reported. The legislatures of Illinois and several other states are struggling with the rent problem. Oneof those popular elections which do no, decide and speedily become unpopular, un-popular, may be said to characterize character-ize the plebiscite in Upper Silesia. Germany received a heavy majority of the total vote, but it caie from the larger towns and centers, of population. popula-tion. Polish strength was manifested principally in the villages and among agricultural groups, and the contention conten-tion has arisen as to whether the returns re-turns shall be interpreted by the whole majority or by village and group units. Various factors contributed to the German Ger-man majority, the principal among them being that military service is no longer compulsory in Germany, whereas where-as Polish citizens must serve two years ; German factory and mine owners own-ers threatened to close their works If Poland won the plebiscite, so many Polish employees voted in favor of Germany through fear of losing their jobs; the Berlin government vaguely promised to share the big landed estates es-tates In Upper Silesia among the small land owners and Germany promised amnesty to all political offenders. Already Al-ready there has been violence In the disputed territory and although the interallied commission which supervised super-vised the voting will have to decide the questions arising from It, any decision de-cision can hardly create a permanent settlement. Enforcement of prohibition under the Volstead law has been broadened by recent rulings, whacked In several places by court actions and is threatened threat-ened In its entire validity by a new suit before the Supreme court at Washington. The most important occurrence oc-currence up to this time, was the eleventh elev-enth hour ruling of former Attorney General Palmer that beer and wine may be dispensed on physicians' prescriptions pre-scriptions the same as whisky, but the amount permitted, especially beer, is much greater. Several federal prohibition pro-hibition directors have expressed themselves them-selves to the effect that this action along with the evident intention of the prohibition department to make the rules affecting prescriptions in general more elastic, will in a short time destroy the effect of the Volstead act. Some have gone so far as to predict that it will not be long until beer and wine are dispensed by the glass at soda fountains. The same authorities also predict that while the result will be a temporary success for the liquor forces it will end in national reversion to prohibition of a drastic sort. Several judicial decisions have recently re-cently been entered against search and seizure of intoxicants in private homes and temporary places of residence. The Supreme court suit which attacks the validity of the prohibition amendment amend-ment is based on the section which makes it inoperative unless ratified within seven years. It is the contention conten-tion that the section violates article 5 of the Constitution which gives congress con-gress no power to impose a limit on ratification "or to otherwise attempt to. control what the legislatures of the states shall do in their deliberations." The provision attacked was offered by former Senator Harding when the prohibition pro-hibition amendment was being proposed pro-posed in the senate. He is quoted as having stated at the time (Aug. 1, 1917) that he offered the provision in order to speed action on the amendment amend-ment and place a limit on the time various states could keep it pending. i The American Legion is stirred up over the conviction and sentencing to terms in German jails of Sergeants Carl Neaf and Fred Zimmer, members of the American forces on the Rhine, who attempted to apprehend Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, convicted American Ameri-can slacker. Neaf was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment and Zimmer six. The national legislative committee commit-tee of the Legion has addressed a letter let-ter to the secretary of war requesting that the United States government take steps to procure from Germany the return of Bergdoll to this country and the release of the sergeants. The letter Is quite severe in its terms and among other things states that "the Bergdoll case as it now stands is a disgrace to the government and a cruel and undeserved insult to the 5,000,000 men who served America in the World war." Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood has been selected by President Harding for a mission to the Philippines which, while not directly administrative, nevertheless partakes In some respects of the character of his Important sojourn so-journ In Cuba immediately after the Spanish-American war. At that time General Wood not only governed the country, but made an investigation of Its principal problems and was largely large-ly instrumental in establishing conditions condi-tions which made self-government possible. pos-sible. He is scheduled to leave for the Philippines April 5, accompanied by W. Cameron Forbes, former governor gover-nor general of the islands, and several military 'advisors. In appointing General Gen-eral ' Wood, President Harding has signified an intention to obtain a de-tailpd, de-tailpd, unprejudiced report of conditions condi-tions in order to execute the Jones act providing that American sovereignty shall be withdrawn when a stable government in which the natives are largely participating shall have been established. It is significant of the potential authority vested in General Wood that pending his investigation and report no governor general of the Islands will be appointed. Red Russia Is now at peace with most of her neighbors and rapidly concluding trade agreements. A strong appeal has been made to President Harding for a resumption of trade with Russia. For the first time the soviet government has officially disavowed dis-avowed any Intention of Interfering In American internal affairs, thus backing down from the manifesto of the Third Internationale which proposed pro-posed to overthrow by force, if necessary, neces-sary, the governments of the United States and other nations and substitute substi-tute rule of the proletariat. Opponents in America of a resumption of trade mint to the assertion once made by Lenin that the soviet government would not hesitate to repudiate prom-1 prom-1 ises made to gain immediate ends. |