Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-02-03 | Page 4 | Tight Hand Kept on Strike News by Government

TIGHT HAND KEPT ON STRIKE NEWS BY GOVERNMENT DOXDON. Feb. 2. The German gov-1 eminent is keeping a tight hand on, news of the strikes, which are attended by demonstrations. In Berlin and other parts of Germany. But, from details received today through Holland, It Is learned that the situation became serious Thursday, when a considerable display of force was necessary to handle the mobs, which at- j tacked street cars and carried out other I excesses in Berlin. For news of what transpired yesterday, the public outside of Germany is largely dependent upon a semi -official report, which says that "only isolated and entirely en-tirely Insignificant excesses occurred that day, and says that the prevailing opinion opin-ion is that the strike has passed its -zenith." This seems to be supported by the fact that the newspapers which were unable to appear Thursday, owing to the sympathy sym-pathy displayed by their compositors and pressmen with the strikers, all came out Friday, while the transport workers continue con-tinue their labors. It is also asserted that work has been resumed at Kiel, Danzig and Hamburg, but it is admitted that additional miners have gone on strike at tlie Rhenish-WestphaUan coal fields. Information-from' various sources show, however, that -the strike'in generates not over, dospite the strong stand -taken by the military authorities, who are now in control. i The Frankfurter Zeitung says that the strike continues to extend to many other; towns, while in Berlin it does not dlmin- j ish, although martial law has been ,de- ! dared in some of 4 the factories and the j .workers have been ordered to return by; Monday under threat of disciplinary measures. - ' . " . ' ' ' The uneasiness of the government over the situation is shown by its action in I j placing the burden of suppressing the strike on the shoulders of the military arid the arrest of Socialist leaders. Including In-cluding Deputy llhelm Dittman, whose detention, according to one dispatch, has caused profound irritation In Socialist circles. A national demonstration of pro-teat pro-teat is being organized. The Socialist paper Vorwaerta advo- ) cates calling a meeting1 of the reichstag, and declares that the government must take notice of the discontent, which, It says, Is a struggle between the Pan-Germans Pan-Germans and the advocates of peace by understanding, adding: "The Social Democratic party must least of all desire that the movement should lead to a process of disintegration and civil war." The Deutsche Zeitung violently attacks Austro-Hungary and accuses that ally of having caused the present trouble by demanding de-manding flour from Germany at such a critical tkne. According to a Berlin dispatch to the Dutch papers, the bourgeoisie parties have decided to oppose the Socialist Democratic Dem-ocratic party demand for convocation of ' the reichstag, because they believe that the parties of the extreme left intend to use such a meeting for purposes of their own propaganda.