RAILWAY STRIKE IN ITALY.

LINES UNDER MARTIAL LAW.

From A. Beaumont. Milan, Wednesday Morning.

During the first twenty-four hours of the Italian railway strike one satisfactory feature may be recorded, namely, that no riots or violent incidents took place anywhere. On the other hand, however, the strike has cast its shadow over the entire land, falling like a general calamity on the nation. Another fact worth noting is that on the very day the general railway strike began the postal strike ended by the formal resolution of the National Postal Syndicate in Rome, which exhorts all its members to return to work to-day. Travelling from Milan to the nearest point on the Swiss frontier, whence I forwarded my despatches, was still fairly easy, owing to the existence of the small Northern Railway, run by a private company, whose employees have nothing to do with those of the State Railway. On the State Railway line, traffic was reduced to its simplest expression. All fast trains were suspended, every train serving all local stations. They were run by the few engine drivers who had refused to join the strike, helped by volunteers and military. The strike may be said to have been complete in Genoa and Bologna, and partial in Rome, Florence, Venice, and Turin, where about 10 per cent of the men continued at work. But the most glorious exception of all is Naples, where the strike completely failed. Some of the men abstained from work early in the morning, but, seeing that the great majority failed to follow suit, they returned to work in the afternoon, and Naples thus enjoyed the satisfaction of a complete train service, of which the rest of Italy was deprived. Milan station presented a war-time aspect yesterday, with its guard of infantry lining every platform inside, and detachments of cavalry camping outside, whilst the machine-guns placed at vantage points made it look even more grim than its ordinary war-time picture. One train for each of the principal destinations, Turin, Genoa, Venice, and Bergamo, left Milan station in the morning, and as the trains were being formed they were guarded by a detachment of infantry. Passengers were few, and boarded the trains with some misgivings, the display of military force being somewhat uncanny. Trains arrived from Verona, Venice, and Bologna, according to the strike time-table, one from each place in the morning and another in the evening; and in the afternoon one train left for Domodossola. A picturesque sight outside the station was the big array of cabs, which excited the surprise of the Milanese. For months no cab seemed available in the town, but on the first day of the railway strike they lined up in hundreds outside the station, and had no passengers, only a few arriving by each train.

MEETINGS PROHIBITED.

The strikers held meetings in Rome, Milan, Bologna, and Genoa, which were largely attended, and at which speeches were made, but no serious incidents occurred. Severe orders were given in many places prohibiting the assembling of more than five persons, and in some provinces all hotels, bars, and restaurants were ordered to close at eight o’clock at night. The transformation of the railway stations from civil to militarised management took place with smoothness, things going like clockwork, as the measures had been well prepared in advance. The strikers left the stations and depots without indulging in any disturbances, doubtless awed by the sight of the troops. This thorough militarisation, which has been executed from one end of Italy to the other, and also provides adequate services all along the lines, accounts probably for the fact that the first day passed without any attempted violence or disorder. The police and military also made no secret of their determination to repress any violence by prompt severity, a warning which even seemed to have a beneficial effect on the strike leaders, who, like Signor Soriani in Milan, strongly exhorted the strikers to abstain from any manifestations of violence. A proposal by the Bolshevik elements at a Milan meeting was, in fact, made to waylay and punish the men who had continued at work, but Signor Soriani objected, and the proposal was voted down. The police inspectors also were very busy, and called many of the ringleaders personally before them to warn them that any violence would be instantly repressed and punished. To prevent the free movements of the strikers’ vigilance committees all motor-cars and private trucks were forbidden to circulate, and their magnetos were requisitioned, which accounted for the unusual sight of motor-cars standing apparently abandoned in many of the streets and even along the country roads.

VOLUNTEER WORKERS.

On the other hand, the Government will utilise the services of all private volunteers in the stations themselves and along the lines, for running a sufficient number both of goods and passenger trains. To-day a special service of provision trains will be organised for all the big towns, which will have absolute precedence over all other trains. They will be run with military escorts, and defended with machine-guns. The general goods service has been greatly reduced. On the Bologna line the stations of Parma, Ferrara, Rimini, Faenza, and Vergato were closed. Southern Italy, where the strike is only very partial, continues well served, fast trains having reached Rome from Naples and Taranto on schedule time. The Train de Luxe to Paris has been suspended, as well as the St. Gothard train, which, instead of leaving from Milan, left yesterday from Chiasso, with only a few passengers. In Rome yesterday morning nearly all the services were complete, including the switchmen, shunters, stokers, engine drivers, and yardsmen, so that the service of trains went smoothly. The dissenting organisation called the Associazione dei Ferropieri, which counts a large membership, has reiterated its appeal to all its members not to join the strike, which, it declares, is merely political and an attempt to bring about Bolshevik disorders.