Today -100: February 8, 1919: We warn our opponents not to push us too far

German Chancellor Friedrich Ebert tells the National Assembly, assembled in Weimar, that the armistice terms are of “unheard of severity” and “carried out without shame.” They are also unnecessary, because “Our enemies declare that they are fighting militarism, but militarism has been dethroned.” “We warn our opponents not to push us too far. Hunger is preferable to disgrace, and deprivation is to be preferred to dishonor.” Oh, and he’d like to annex Austria, please and thank you. He threatens to break off peace negotiations with the Allies, who respond by suggesting that new terms might be imposed on Germany for the next extension of the armistice. Germany has been slow in fulfilling earlier armistice terms, like handing over ships.

Talks to end the general strike in Seattle fail. Mayor Ole Hanson threatens that if it’s not called off, he will “place this city under control of the Federal Government.” The strike is reasonably complete, but the Tacoma version isn’t, and has been called off.

The IWW calls a strike on the Montana copper mines against wage reductions from $5.75 a day to $4.75.

As I mentioned, the Senate will extend its investigation of German propaganda in the US to Bolshevik propaganda. So the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage will ask it to include suffragist groups, “to determine what relationship exists between American suffrage societies and organizations of Socialists and Feminists in Europe”.

Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.