REVOLT IN BERLIN

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1919, Page 5

REVOLT IN BERLIN

SPARTACUSERS CAPTURE CITY. REPORTED OVERTHROW OF GOVERNMENT.

TROOBtt EXTENDING TO

COUNTRY.

/!, BERLIN CUT OFF.

_ • __ London, Jan. 9. aerr Ebert states that while the troops were transmitting the demand by v» commander they were treacherously Med at behind and suffered heavy casualties. The commander thereupon Brought a machine-gun into action and cleared (he street.

The Government has opened a recruiting bureau in order to arm members of the Social Democratic Party and factories against terrorism. Other messages state that Berlin is separated from the rest of Germany by railway Telephonic communications are broken.

The majority of the country folk disapprove of tie Spartacus agitation Anger is growing at the weakness of the Berlin Government. The Bavarian GoTenunent threatens to ensure quiet by means of armed forces, which will mercilessly crush the Berlin Bolsheviks. The Frankfurter Zeituug suggests that Germany should build a new capital, as it will cost more to adapt existing buildings. A good site is obtainable in Thuringia. The capital might be named Friedenstadt.

The Daily News describes the city as divided into two armed camps, one the Government's with the Imperial Chancellery as a centre and the palaca and ■unrounding buildings filled with soldiers. The Spartacusans have two centres, namely, the office of the Rote Fahene in the WUhelm Strass and police headquarters on Alexander Plate, ■which ax* both surrounded by armed civilians The situation is most dangerous because the Spartacusans have taken 1000 guns from the factories and have flame-throwers and tanks at their disposal. At least 25,000 armed civilians are now in the strecs.—AU3.-N.2. Cable Assn.

London, Jan. 9. The Daily Express' Berlin correspondent anms up the Spartacus policy as a desire to carry on a class struggle against the 'bourgeoisie until government by and for the working classes is established. The class struggle must be carried on until proletariat government is established everywhere in the world. The immediate aim is to seize all food, disarm police and soldiers except proletariats, replace old administrations by supporter* of proletariats, and also establish a tribunal to try those guilty of causing the war, including the HohenZollerns, Ludendorff, Himtenburg, Tirpitr, and all counter-revolutionaries There must be absolute socialisation of the State, six hours days, unemployment insurance, cancelling of all public debts except money lent iby the poor. and confiscation of all real estate and all fortunes above a certain low level.

The Daily Express correspondent, ■who was an eye-witnegg of the fighting on Monday and Tuesday, was motoring continually through the streets with guards whom Eichorn provided. He describes three machine-guns firing pointblank into the moo at Brandenburg Gate- There were other bloody incidents, but it is impossible to estimate the casualties. The Government troop* tt Brandenburg Gate were ambushed behind the bronze horses which the Prus•ians stole from France in 1870, and commanded four broad highways. After three attacks the Spartacusans forced the Government troops to hoist the wbJU flag and abandon the gate.

London, Jan. Id. Messages received from various sources from Berlin, including Ebert's statements circulated toy German wireless, show the following, course of recent events. The Spartacusan League on Sunday Joined the Independent Socialist! under the half-crazy firebrand Liebknecht and attempted to seize the power The prime object was to stop a general election- Ebert and Scheidemaun were taken unawares and provea irrecorate, but threats against their personal safety finally determined them to resist by force of arms. During the street fighting on Monday and Tuesday •oldiers wearing steel helmets fired rifles from windows. Machine-guns and grenade* were freely used. One report says three hundred were- killed, including a hundred killed in the Wilhelm Piatt and at the Brandenburg Gate on Tuesday morning.—Aus-N.2. Cable Assn.

GOVERNMENT TROOPS CAINING SUPREMACY. JjUJOPY ALL PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Received Jan. 10, 11.5 p.m. Loudon, Jan. 9. Latest telegrams report that the Government troops are gaining supremacy in Berlin. They have occupied all the public buildings. Various reports declare the Sparta.cuaero an beaten, and that thousands of Government troops are entering the capital.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Asaoo. TEfc TROUBLE SPREADING. Berlin, Jan. 9. The German Government troops have driven out the Spart&cusans from the most important positions in the city. There 1* much artillery fighting. Paris, Jan. 9. It in reported that civil war is spreading in Rhineland and Bavaria. The Spart&cusans have proclaimed a new government at Berlin.—Aus. 2LZ. Cable Awe. HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS CLOSED. London, Jan. 8. The Daily Jhronlele'a Amsterdam correspondent states that the strike ana lock-out of waiters in Berlin has spread to snob an extent that the city is practically without hotels, restaurants, and eafei. The etrikera by pure terrorism compelled large establishments to close. They broke hundreds of wine bottles and stole vast quantities of eatables and cutlery The police have sot interfered. Twenty thousand waiters are either striking or looked &Z. Oahle Aw*

A STATE OF SIEGE. heavy fighting contijtoes. Received Jan. 11, 150 a.m. Loudon, Jan. 10. Ebert bag declared a suite of siege in Berlin. Heavy figlitiug conhuuea.—Keuter. MACHINE-GUNS AND FLAMETHROWERS.

MOBS UNCONTROLLABLE. London, Jan. 8. It is reported that Ebert and Sclieidemann on Monday addressed an enthusiastic meeting outside the Chancellor's palace. Scheidamann declared that tlie Spartacusans ordered himself and Scheidemann to he shot. He urged the crowd to resist Spartacusers. Those who were militarily trained would receive arms. Dense crowds appeared in the streets on Tuesday, and there was intense excitement. The streets wore a stem military aspect. The Brandenburg Gate and surrounding bristled with machine-grins. Tils served out flame-throwers. .Evidently the Government considers conciliatory efforts doomed to failure. It had offered to discuss general disarmament with the Spstrtacusans. who had not responded. It is reported the the Government is endeavoring to seize Liebknecht. The Spartacusans entered the homes of E'sny politicians, seizing papers, though there is a notable absence of ordinary, pillage.

During Wednesday the Government and the Spar+acusans held day-long negotiations to allay the i,umult, but without result, as leaders of both sides proved unable to control the mobs in the streets. '

Herr Ebert states that in view of the disturbances the Government summoned its supporters during Sunday night to commence a general strike as a tremendous demonstration against the terrorism of a brutal minority. These demonstrations assumed gigantic-propor-tions on Monday. The Government supporters throughout are unarmed. Meanwhile, owing to the attitude of the Spartacusanß, shooting commenced in the Unter den Linden and the Potsdamer Platz. In the midst of the trouble a deputation with a white flag approached the cordon of Government troops to surrender.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

| SEVERE FIGHTING.' I I BLOODIEST DAY IN BERLIN'S 1 HISTORY. EBERT GOVERNMENT OUSTED. London, Jan. 8. The Telegraph's Amsterdam correspondent states that latest accounts from Berlin show that Tuesday was the bloodiest day in Berlin's history. It is reported that hundreds of people were killed. The Spartacusans were plentifully supplied v.itli arms after Hie seizure of the arsenals. Fighting began on Monday and continued all night long. There were numerous encounters at Wertheim's stores, the War Ministry, in the Leipziger Strasae, also at the barracks, where the troops used minenwerfers. There was a severe fight for the Food Office, which the Spartaousans captured. A detachment of Government troops was sent with an ultimatum to the Spartacusans to quit the Wolff Bureau in ten minutes, but the Government troops refused to attack and marched away. General Groener has offered to take forty regiments of trustworthy troops to the capital to assist the Governmen. It is believed Marshal von Hindenburg has already arrived. Paris, Jan. 9 It is reported that the Ebert Government has been overturned.—Aus. NX Cable Assoc. COMPULSORY LOWERING OF AMERICAN FLAG. Berlin, Jan. 7. ' General Harris, head of the American mission, was compelled to haul down the American flag at the Allon Hotel, wherein the Allied representatives took refuge.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoa.