NO CABINET YET FORMED IN FRANCE

Grey River Argus, 4 September 1948, Page 5

NO CABINET YET FORMED IN FRANCE

LONDON, Sept. 2 M. Robert Schuman, M.rt.P. h-eader, is proceeding with the formation of a Uaoihet at Paris. The Socialist caucus voted by 9j to five against participation in tne Cabinet. This resulted from the fact that M. Schuman had not accepted the percentage of wage increases which the Socialists sought. M. Schuman saw President Auriol and gave him a review of the situation. M. Auriol is expected to seek an eleventh-hour compromise between M. Schuman and the socialists. ’ , , The Soicalist Party leaders later decide don another conference with M. Schuman. They are confident the M.R.P. would ask them to reconsider tne refusal. _ The M.R.P. Parliamentary Party decided unanimously not to consider M. Schuman’s giving up the task olj forming a Government. M. Schuman said he would form a Government regardless of wha’t the Socialists finally decided. , , Observers say that whatever regime M. Schuman forms it has little chance of survival for more than a few weeks, as the Communists and Socialists combined could out-vote it in the Assembly. , ~ M. Reynaud, in a speech, said France’s new Government, when formed would be able to use special financial and economic powers Parliament had given him. He said: the law on regulations and decrees has been passed and has no limit of duration. It gives power to govern to those who have the will to govern; but it is still necessary to agree on how to use

SERIES OF STRIKES FOR WAGES INCREASES LONDON, Sept. 2 The Paris correspondent of the British United Press stated: M. Schuman’s Cabinet-making is proceeding against a background of industrial unrest, in which all the trade unions, from Catholics to Communists, are demanding a wage.increase. Labour unrest became serious when strikers at Dijon seized the station and goods yard, compelling main line trains to make a two-hour detour. Forty thousand workers in Roubai, a textile centre, held a 24-hour stoppage. The employees at the Creusot arms works entered the fourth day of a strike. Several thousand coal miners held a 24-hour strike in the northern and central coal fields. Altogether there have been stoppages of work in twenty places. However, a twentyfour hour general strike in Marseilles proved ineffective. Trams are running as usual. -