FRENCH MISSION IN MOSCOW

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25365, 12 December 1947, Page 7

FRENCH MISSION IN MOSCOW

Leader Comments On Expulsion OWN GOVERNMENT BLAMED

(N.Z, Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m ) LONDON, December 11. A Moscow message says that Lieu-tenant-Colonel Raymond Marquier, head of the French repatriation mission to the Soviet Union, which has been expelled, told a press conference of foreign and Russian journalists that the French Government’s charges against two Soviet officers of the Soviet repatriation mission to France were without proof and were false. He charged his Government with a “systematically malicious attitude" towards the Soviet. Colonel Marquier said that the French Government three months ago had plotted to evict the Soviet repatriation mission and had systematically carried out its plan. A French Foreign Office spokesman said that strong disciplinary measures would be taken against Colonel Marquier, whose statement in no way corresponded with the facts.

A spokesman for the War Office said that Colonel Marquier’s rank was fictitious. He was making every effort to remain in Russia in spitp of his expulsion. Tne French Cabinet announced toordered its Charge d Affaires in Moscow to return the Note the Soviet Government handed him announcing the expulsion of the French repatriation mission and the cessation of trade talks. The Cabinet said that this action had been taken as a pretest against the terms of the Soviet Note and against its release to the press before the French Government received it. STRIKE LOSSES IN FRANCE MR SCHUMAN SPEAKS TO NATION ALL CLASSES URGED TO MAKE SACRIFICES (Rec. » p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 11, As France returned to work yesterday after three weeks of strikes, the Government began to count the cost. The figure of £200,000,000 is mentioned as a rough estimate of the loss to France’s national economy, says the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph,” but no real assessment can be made for months.

The Prime Minister (Mr Robert Schuman), in a broadcast speech last night in which he declared war on black market profiteers, said that It would be intolerable if workers, after saving the country from disorder, were to be victims of traffickers or speculators, He added: "With the workers, the Government has held out against the saboteurs of work, and with the workers it will lead an implacable fight against the saboteurs of the country’s food.” Mr Schuman urged all classes to make sacrifices to overcome the losses during the strikes. "The last strikes come to an end to-night," said Mr Schuman. "Tomorrow the nation can breathe again. There are those who said the Government wanted a victory over the working people, but we wanted a victory not over them, but over those who foment disorder.” Mr Schuman said that the strikes had cost France 2,000,000 tons of coal and 400.000 tons of steel, and whole shiploads of food had been held up. It is estimated that 1,500,000 strikers returned to work yesterday throughout France. Hundreds of thousands them are facing a meagre festive season, as they had no pay during their idleness.

The Paris correspondent of Reuters says that the first ship has left Marseilles after 28 days of strike. Marseilles is now almost normal, with trams running and 1600 dockers back at work.

The correspondent adds that in the Lille area incidents occurred when some strikers opposed those returning. A Paris-bound express and a train from Paris were halted outside Marseilles when a bomb was found on the track.

The National Assembly has passed a bill to investigate the reform of the special police force known as the Republican Security Companies, which were formed to absorb members of the resistance groups who remained under arms after France’s liberation.