AUTHORITY DEFIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 59, 10 March 1932, Page 7

AUTHORITY DEFIED.

Dramatic Death of Lover in Detroit Riot. POLICE FIRING DEFENDED. NEW YORK, March 9. Dispatches from Detroit state that as a result of the riot by 3000 unemployed at the Ford works on Tuesday the National Guard of Michigan has been mobilised and 29 alleged leaders of the mob, including one girl, have been arrested. William. Foster and four other wellknown Communist readers are being sought. One of the most remarkable figures among those arrested was the girl. When she was examined by the police she still wore a shabby blue dress stained with the blood of her slain sweetheart, who died in her arms during the fighting. She shouted defiantly in reply to questions: "Yes, I was there. I am not sorry. I did it for the starving millions. Blame capitalism which is the cause of all our sufferings." It transpires that the arrested girl urged the rioters on when they, were faced by a troop of 50 policemen at the entrance to Dearborn City. "Come on you cowardt,," the girl screamed as she led the way As the mob made its third surge forward her sweetheart fell wounded by a bullet. A motorist picked up the lifeless young man and the girl and drove them to a hospital. There the girl was arrested. The arrested rioters arc to be i charged with homicide, assault and violations of the criminal syndicalism law of Michigan. The officials of the Ford Company have disclaimed all responsibility for the riot. They say the company has employed more men more continuously at higher wages than any other industrial plant or aggregation of plants of the same size in the. Detroit area. In recent months it has replaced the names of more former employees on the pay roll than any other firm.

"If Detroit wants an explanation of such demonstrations," says the officials of the company, "it should look to the leaders who recruited the rioters and to the sources from which their men were drawn."

The city prosecutor says no mercy will bo shown to any person who is proved to have taken part.in the riot. Ho understands that those who inspired it .arc planning another demonstration in the industrial area and he has ordered the police to place all demonstrators behind the bars.

The chief of police at Dearborn City defended the firing by his men. He said they fired on the mob for their own protection after everything else had failed.