FIGHT IN FRENCH CHAMBER

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21941, 16 November 1936, Page 9

FIGHT IN FRENCH CHAMBER

I * | DEPUTIES STRUGGLE ON ! THE FLOOR i j | INCIDENT ENDS IN EMBRACE ■ PARIS, November 13. A conflict unparalleled since the frequent disturbances of M. Painleve’s premiership occurred in the Chamber when Deputy Becquart questioned the Prime Minister, M. Leon Blum, about the war record of the Minister for the Interior (M. Roger Salengro). He declared that in spite of the result of the enquiry the country was still most gravely .suspicious. M. Becquart’s speech was incessantly interrupted, deputies hurling insults and accusations across the Chamber. M. Blum mounted the tribune and declared that M. Salengro had been proved completely innocent. The Rightists roared dissent, upon which some 25 Leftists marched menacingly across the chamber while an almost equal number of Rightists advanced simultaneously. The combatants merged in the middle of the floor and a swaying mass of deputies punched, kicked, and wrestled on the floor, while others mounted the benches and leaped upon the struggling group. The President’s bell,_ clanging furiously, was disregarded amid the terrific din. M. Herriot abandoned an attempt ti establish order and walked out. The combatants continued the struggle until they were exhausted, when the ushers separated them. The deputies retired to the lobbies, many limping and others dabbing bleeding faces with their handkerchiefs. The Rightists sang the “Marseillaise” and the Leftists gave the communist salute with clenched fists and sang the “Internationale.” Shamefaced Deputies When the meeting was resumed after 20 minutes, the deputies shamefacedly listened to M. Herriot’s reminder that only a few hours previously tney had assembled at the tomb of the unknown soldier and had sworn an oath of unity. M. Blum was received in silence when he resumed hr; speech. He read documents affirming the courage of M. Salengro, who, during the war, went to No Man’s Land under machine-gun fire to identify a dead comrade, upon which he was taken prisoner by the Germans.

M. Blum added that a courtmartial had acquitted M. Salengro on a charge of desertion while he was still a prisoner of war. He pointed out that M. Salengro had been sentenced to death by the German; because he refused on behalf of his fellow-prisoners to work in a factory making shells to use against the French. M. Salengro denied the allegations, on which the Government received a vote of confidence by 374 votes to 201. A motion condemning the press campaign against M. Salengro and approving the bringing in of a bill to prevent such calumnies was passed by 427 votes to 103, at which M. Blum and M. Salengro warmly embraced.