Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1918 — LAY HEAVY HAND ON GERMAN LABOR [ARTICLE]

LAY HEAVY HAND ON GERMAN LABOR

Authorities Ruthless in Suppression of General Munitions Strike. CONSCRIPTIONMETHODSUSED J iLabor Journal Tells How Workers at Brunswick Were Tricked Into Trouble, Then Sent to Prieon for Long Terms. Amsterdam*. —Details of the Geriman military authorities’ ruthless suppression of an attempt at a general (Strike In all the munitions factories of tGermany last August, no particulars of Which were allowed out of the country iat the time, are published in the Journal of the, German Metal Workers. In Brunswick, which is the only district particularized in the guarded story putvZshed by the Journal, martial law was Immediately put into force, and both male and female strikers were sentenced to Imprisonment. “It will be a long time before labor in Brunswick recovers from the wounds received,” says the writer of the article. His account of the strike is in part as follows: “The great international strike has come to an end in Brunswick, and the Jabor movement is richer by a very grievous experience. The strike was brought out by a few agitators, and had been in preparation for a long time. Conscription Methods Used. “The authorities in Brunswick indeed knew more about the threatened strike than the leaders of the local trade unions, who were unable to take counter measures to protect the working people. “The most unscrupulous methods were iwsed to persuade the workers to take part in the strike. Rumors were •put out to tlie effect that t lie stride was for the purpose of putting an end to the control of food exercised by tlie authorities, also that it was to exert on the employers to grant demands which had been put forward by the Metal Workers’ union. It was aBo declared that ndt only in Germany, but throughout the world, 1> London, Paris and Petrograd, work was to come to a standstill in order to bring about peace. “The number of persons out on strike in Brunswick the first day was 5,000, which was increased .the next

■:wo days by female workers from the 'am and spinning factories. "On the breaking out of the strike he minister of the Interior summoned the heads of the workman’s committees. They presented a series of demands, including fair distribution of food, the eight-hour day, grant of right of free assembly, Introduction of equal direct follng, peace without annexations or indemnities, permission to establish a labor Journal and nonpunishment of participants in the strike. "The minister would not discuss the demands. He Stated that work must be resumed the next morning (Friday) or the matter would be referred to tlie military command. He added that the working people would suffer heavily if, against wiser counsels, they persisted in the strike. The strikers voted to continue the strike. “A few hours after this fateful decision had been taken the orders of the military authorities were pasted up in the streets. These required that work should be resumed on Friday morning, in default of which strict conditions of martial law would be introduced. Special Military Court. “The instigators of the strike were the first to return to work, while the mass of the strikers gathered at their meeting place, where, however, the authorities would allow no assembly to take place. “Meanwhile a special military court has been set up, working day and night. The arrests and trials numbered more than a hundred and terms of imprisonment up to ten months were imposed. Workers between the ages of seventeen and forty-eight who were subject to military service were brought under military control and were ordered to perform certain work, for which they would receive only military pay. “In many families the father, or mother —in some, indeed, both parents —had been condemned to long terms Of imprisonment. We saw children in charge of grandparents, who mourned in common the fate that had overtaken them suddenly. Everything that could be associated with the strikers was adversely affected. The working people and their organizations suffered most severely. The negotiations on economic matters, which had been initiated with the munitions firms with |he co-operation of the war office, have been anjj has been sown in the ranks of labor.”