RIOTING IN BERLIN

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 140, 10 December 1918, Page 7

RIOTING IN BERLIN

BAYONETS AND MACHINE GUNS

WHAT AN ERROR LED TO.

(Received December 10, 9 a.m.)

AMSTERDAM, Bth December. A Berlin message states that the Soviet Executive was sitting in the Reichstag building, ■when a lieutenant, commanding a detachment of Guard Pioneers, who stated that he was acting on Government orders,"' arrested them.

It appears that the lieutenant acted bona fide, but had been duped by three individuals, one of whom was arrested, while the other two, who were Foreign Office officials, fled. The lieutenant-was arrested.

When the arrest of the Executive Council became known, troops of the Soldiers' Council, cheering Dr. Liebknocht and shouting that Herr Ebert and Herr Scheidemann must retjre. formed a procession to the Reichstag, where Herr / Ledebour promised that their wishes would be considered.

Two other processions carried placards stating: "Down with Hindenburg a-rid his officers!" and "We must have a Soldiers' Council." They also demanded that Herr Ebert be hanged.

The military charged tho procession at the point of the bayonet, and then fired on tllem with machine-guns, 28 'being killed and 40 wounded. The Vorwaerts asserts that the Spartacns group was entirely responsible for the outbreak. It is rumoured that the demonstrators intended to storm ' the Foreign Office and remove the Government. . V' ■