FRENCH GENERAL STRIKE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 9

FRENCH GENERAL STRIKE

ALL SERVICES OPERATING

PREMIER'S AUTHORITY STRONGER

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

(Received December 1, 10 a.m.)

LONDON, November 30. _ A message from Paris states that the general strike is a complete failure and that the Confederation of Labour admitted that it has been broken in the Paris area owing to the requisition order. The Minister of the Interior, M. Sarraut, stated that the situation is quiet and that all services are operating. Only one-fourth of the workers are striking in the steel industry, in which the most complete stoppage was expected. "lam satisfied,'' declared the Prime Minister, M. Daladier. "I never doubted that the civil servants would remain at their posts.'' M. Leon Jouhaux, secretary-general of the Trades Union executive, said: "There was a complete stoppage for two hours. Owing to the military measures, .we have not contested the resumption of work."

The Paris correspondent of'the."Daily Telegraph" says that M. Daladier has demonstrated that the requisition weapon can be used against employers as well as workers. Hearing that M. Michelin had closed his works, he. ordered that they should be requisitioned, and guaranteed the employment of thousands of workers.

Today's fiasco resulted in the strengthening of M. Daladier's authority throughout the country- The Government is now in a better position to apply M. Eeynaud's three-year financial plan and to conduct international negotiations.

v A special correspondent in Paris of the Australian Associated Press reports that two million workers arej on strike, this being less than half: the membership of the Confederation of Labour. They are confined mainly j to the mines, the heavy industries, and docks. First reports from the provinces revealed that public services were 90 per cent, normal. The city appeared to be normal at daybreak, trains and buses functioning as usual and ignoring the Confed-) eration's orders. The general impression is that the* workers have bowed j under threat of military action, which has reduced the strike to a fiasco. The only complete strike is in an Alsace potash mine. Twenty railwaymen have been arrested. Five thousand of the 30,000 Renault workers have resumed work. In Valenciennes factories, shops, and markets are closed. Mobile Guards clashed with demonstrators who were, trying to release six persons who had been arrested. The dockers at Marseilles are working, but the city is without trams and taxi-cabs. Aided by non-unionists and members ' of independent unions, five Paris newspapers appeared this morning, each of four pages. 495 ARRESTS IN PARIS. It is stated officially that there have been 495 arrests in Paris. Eighty persons are charged with attempts to impede the work of miners. The strike in the Valenciennes area is reported to" be nearly 100 per cent, effective. The Folkestone-Boulogne crossChannel cargo services are dislocated. j At Lille hundreds of strikers stopped three tramcars. Using spades looted from an ironmonger's shop, they smashed the windows and injured ten passengers. Mobile Guards cordoned the area. Mounted police charged and 50 arrests were made. Many people were injured on both sides. At Toulouse 2000 workers attempted to raid the stores department. Police intervened, resulting in a serious clash.