SWISS COMMUNISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 March 1929, Page 5

SWISS COMMUNISTS

AUTHORITIES DEFIED.

(Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn. —Copyright.)

LONDON, March 23. The “Daily Mail’s” Geneva correspondent says that despite official prohibition, the Communist Party decided to hold a great week-end anti-Fascist demonstration at Basle. Instigated by Moscow agents, they flooded southern Germany with manifestos, urging comrades to assemble on the banks of the Rhine. The local police being inadequate to prevent the meeting, the Bale authorities appealed to the Federal Government to send a strong body of troops. A STATE OF SIEGE. (Received March 25, 11.30 a.m.) GENEVA, March 24. Since Saturday, Basle has resembled a besieged town. All the sur.rounding villages hold troops, including three battalions of infantry, cavalry, frontier guards and motor lorries, ready to march into town if the Communists hold the prohibited demonstrations. The principal buildings, telegraph and telephone offices, and Consulates, are guarded by soldiers and police. Armed police occupy the railway stations. All persons seeking to enter Basle are examined and all suspects forced back or arrested. The police raided the local Communist newspaper, “Vorwaerts,” destroyed the type, confiscated the edition, and placed a guard over the building. Several well-known Communist leaders were arrested at Geneva, Lausanne and Berne, when entraining for Basle, and were imprisoned. Army pioneers, armed with quick firers, strongly guard the German frontier. An important group of German Communists from Loerrach were driven back.

The Army commandeered the Basle radio-station for military purposes. The Federal Government is sitting at a continuous session at Berne to deal with emergencies.

INDIAN UNREST.

BOMBAY, March 23.

The police in a baton charge yesterday dispersed a meeting of 5000 mill hands, held to protest against the arrest of the secretary, in connection with the Communist raids.