Paris Peace Conf. 184.01202/78

Mr. Franklin Day to the Commission to Negotiate Peace

Gentlemen: I have the honour to transmit below a report on the political situation in Germany.

The growing discontent in the masses reported in my previous despatches forced the government to hasten the Socialisation of the [Page 49] mines. A project for such a Socialisation was introduced in the National Assembly by the Majority Socialists and posters announcing this decision were shown everywhere in Berlin. This action was taken to prevent the general strike which was threatened in Berlin and it was an effort to prove to its supporters that the Socialist government had not lost its Socialist character. At the same time the government issued an appeal to labour calling for effective help against anarchy. The government’s efforts however came too late and on March third the Convention of the Workmens Councils of Greater Berlin voted by 400 votes against 120 (200 members not voting) to call a general strike to be effective immediately. This convention represents 1500 Workmens Councils each representing about 1000 workmen. It is however not true that the whole of the labour element represented favours either the strike or the policy of the Independent Socialists as many of the Workmens Councils represented are members of the Majority Socialist Party. They are however in the minority at present and the general movement of opinion is toward the Independent Socialists. The radical Independent Socialist element in the convention attempted to have the Communist (Spartacus) program accepted, it failed however by a two thirds vote against it. The demands of the convention are as follows:

Recognition of the Soldiers and Workmens Councils as economic bodies.

The Liberation of all political prisoners including Ledebour and Radek.

Abolition of all summary courts (which do not exist).

Reestablishment of economic and diplomatic relations with the Russian Soviet Republic.

Immediate dissolution of the Volunteer Corps.

The establishment of Popular Courts and the change of all existing courts to such courts.

A demand to bring the men who were chiefly guilty of beginning the war before a Revolutionary Tribunal was passed. A similar demand to call Ebert, Scheidemann and Noske before the same court failed. The meeting appears to have been stormy and much disturbed by the Spartacist representatives.

At the same time the Independent Socialist Party held its convention in which Haase spoke for the moderate wing. His demands were for immediate disarmament, for the creation of a popular army which would elect its own officers and soldiers councils for the supervision of the troops, the establishment of Workmens Councils on a constitutional basis, their cooperation in the government through the right of veto and of submitting laws to a referendum, their use in the Socialisation and in the supervision of production and the immediate Socialisation of all mines, electric works and the concentrated steel [Page 50] and Iron industry. His opponent Daeumisch proposed that the party adopt the idea of complete Soviet rule in its program, a motion regarding which no vote was taken at this meeting.

The general strike began by the cessation of all street car and subway traffic. The electric plants, the water supply, hospitals, the firemen, the food shops are all excluded from the general strike. So far the only disturbance has been the disarmament of a number of police reserves in their stations by crowds in the slum district of the “Wedding”. The town is patrolled by government troops which have however not gone into action. An attack on North Station was defeated by men of the “Sicherheits Wehr” which however is not a certain factor. The State of Siege has been proclaimed and Noske is charged with the enforcement of its provisions. Three extraordinary Courts Martial have been established to deal with offenses under the State of Siege.

It is impossible to say what the outcome of the strike will be. The tension is such that a small riot could easily develop into a revolution. A counter strike of the Bourgeois elements will so far not take place but should the general strike extend to the light and water supply such a strike would still be possible. The railways as well as the post and telephone service are still functioning and the aspect of the town, with the exception of the crowds at corners is normal.

In other parts of the country quiet reigns. The entry into Duesseldorf of the government troops was effected without bloodshed. In Leipzig the general strike as well as the counter strike of the Bourgeoisie continue but there have been no disturbances. Zeitz is still in Spartacist hands and no light has been furnished the town for a week. Here the Spartacists have taken prominent men as hostages. There has been a minor shooting affair in Zeitz, but no great disorders have taken place so far.

Government troops have entered Koenigsberg and disarmed the “Volkswehr”, because the government was in possession of information that the Spartacists wanted to take Koenigsberg to use it as a base for communication with the Bolshevik army to facilitate its entry into Germany.

The entry of government troops into Halle was not effected without bloodshed, as usually criminal elements had been released from the jails by the Spartacists and the great shops had been totally pillaged. Many cases of arson have been reported.

An agreement has been reached between the strikers from the Wittenberg district and the government as the strikers had been wrongly informed of the intentions of the government. So far the general strike movement in Dresden was supported by only 700 persons and appears to have been a total failure.

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It is impossible to evaluate the events although the situation seems momentarily to be improved. The Berlin strike however may cause all other radical movements to flare up again and the situation of the government is still uncertain.

I have [etc.]

Franklin Day