Shooting Strikers in France

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 295, 25 October 1922, Page 14

Shooting Strikers in France

The strike in Havre, referred to lately in the cables, began with the iinetal workers in. July and was reSorted to to oppose a reduction of 10 per cent, in wages by the employers Who refused Arbitration. After it had proceeded in a perfectly orderly and legal manner for some time the Preitect of the district ordered the Mayor to break the strike by use of force. Tho mayor refused, whereupon the Government took away his control of Ihe police. General Duchesne declared that—''"in four days 'order' will be re-!e;stablfehed whether it costs (three lives or three hundred." This aroused feeling in the town and lea to sympathetic strikes. Subsequently th 6 Government changed its mind about , the m,a;/oral conti'el of the police, but by ,this time its provocation led to an outbreak which was suppressed by ti'oops. The strikers' leauera, to the number of 37. were arrested together w&h some of their wives. Severalstrikers were killed and wounded. A 24-hour general strike all over Franc? was at once declared. The French workers repelled the German inyadsrs only to be shot down by their own Government apparently.