FRENCH GOVERNMENT CLAIMS TO HAVE UPPER HAND IN THE COAL STRIKE CRISIS

Grey River Argus, 29 October 1948, Page 5

FRENCH GOVERNMENT CLAIMS TO HAVE UPPER HAND IN THE COAL STRIKE CRISIS

(Received October 28, at 9.40 p.m.} PARIS, October 28. The French Government is now convinced that, by-sending troops to the mines, it has gained the upper hand, and that, sooner or later, the miners will get tired of their strike. For the first time in more than a week, there were no clashes yesterday between strikers and the Security Forces. The French N ational Assembly’s Defence Comjmission has voted to discuss a motion seeking for a Government statement of the allegation made by the Minister of the Interior, M. Moch, that the Cominform was financing the coal strikers.

The Ministry of the Interior says that 62 pei’ cent, of the strikers in the Lorraine basin have returned to work. M. Mitterand added that the forces of law and order were completely masters of the situation at all points. Troops to-day occupied Issot pit, the most important pit in the St. Etienne region, without resistance from the miners. The situation in Northern France is still critical, although 15 pits in the eastern part, of the northern basin have been occupied by troops. Ninety-seven pits located in the more heavily-concentrated western portion of the basin remained in the strikers’ hands, said a French Coal Board spokesman.

SEAMEN TO BOYCOTT COAL IMPORTS

The executive committee of the Compagnie Generale Trans-Atlantic decided to appeal to all seamen to stop all shipments of coal to France and asked railwaymen to consider steps to stop all coal coming into France at the frontier points bn the railway lines. The committee also asked all French workers to go on staging strikes for short periods as a sign of their solidarity with the miners.

DOCKERS’ BOYCOTT OF COAL

The State Secretary for Information, M. Mitterand, after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, said he could not give precise details about the steps the Government proposed regarding the dockers’ refusal to unload coal, but he declared’: “I can tell you the Government will get the coal unloaded.”

Acts of Sabotage

(Rec. 11.40) PARIS, Oct. 28 Saboteurs derailed a train at Deaville by removing a connection in the line and wedging an iron bar into a crossing. Nobo::./ was injured. At Mete, other saboteurs smashed a lock gate on the canal to prevent the passage of the coal barges. The Ministry of the Interior announced that a train carrying nonstriking miners to work was derailed near Marseilles. No person was hurt. A Ministry spokesman alleged that the derailment was deliberate sabotage.