THE BELGIUM STRIKE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 84, 16 April 1913, Page 5

THE BELGIUM STRIKE.

VERY COMPLETE ARRANGEMENTS. KEIR HAR DIE’S PROMISE. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press Association.] Brussels, April 14. The Socialist leaders have resolved that no intoxicants shall be sold and no meetings bold. it lias been arranged tllut artists shall give musical matinees daily for the strikers’ amusement. Maeterlinck has written several letters criticising the Catholic rulers, and offering money to help the strikers. M. Anatole, the French novelist, also favors the strikers. Mr Keir Hardie has written promising that no British coal will be shipped during the strike. He adds:

“The value of a general strike may be disputed on economic grounds, but it has a great value from a political standpoint. The proletariat of the whole world is watching Belgium with interest.” A striker at Courcelles shot a Catholic non-striking workman. THE STRIKE A FIASCO. NO PUBLIC INCONVENIENCE. Brussels, April 15. It is estimated that there are two hundred thousand strikers, chiefly' from the factories and mines at Hainault and Namur. FeW of the transporters are partaking. The newspapers state that the strike is a fiasco, and is causing little inconvenienced Only 7000 out of 50,000 at Ghent struck, 13,000 out of 49,000 at Brussels, and 78 out of 6500 employed at the Ghent Exhibition. Many miners have been saving, as they do not expect the unions to help them for three weeks.