"CROMWELL TOUCH"

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 260, 2 November 1929, Page 9

"CROMWELL TOUCH"

Poland's Dictator Fills Diet With Soldiers.

SABRE CHARGE SEQUEL,

(Received 1.30 p.m.) WARSAW, November 1. The Minister of War, Marshal Pilsudski, who is ' practically. a dictator, gave the members of the Polish Diet ah experience of the "Cromwell touch" to-day,' when the Budget session was opened. . It was known that there was a majority in favour of a motion of noconfidence in the Government and that Marshal Pilsudski was determined not to give way. A sensation was caused when 90 officers, carrying swords and revolvers, occupied the lobby just before" the sitting was opened. The Speaker, regarding this as a coup d'etat, refused to open the session until the Government had induced the officers to retire. . When the Sergearit-at-Arms ordered the intruders to leave the soldiers replied: "We have orders to occupy this lobby." Marshal Pilsudski has been in conference with the Speaker, hut a settlement has not been reached, and the troops are still in possession of the lobby. The officers have been provided with chairs. Last night's militarist intimidation of Parliament had its sequel to-day when the Socialists assembled in the public square. A former member of Cabinet, Arciszewski, violently attacked Pilsudski's policy. The police ordered him to desist, then charged the crowd with drawn sabres, wounding eight., including the Socialist M.P.'s, Prager and Dubois.