ALMOST MARTIAL LAW

Northern Advocate, 6 February 1934, Page 7

ALMOST MARTIAL LAW

SITUATION IN PARIS military replace police ECHO OF STAVISKY SCANDAL. RIOTERS ARRESTED. (United Press Association—By Electria Telegraph.—Copyright.; (Received 9.0 a.m.) LONDON, February 4. As a sequel to the transfer of M. Chiappe, the ex-Prefect of Police, on account of his alleged complicity in the Stavisky affair, the city of Paris is virtually under martial law. It is not the police, but the military, who command the position. Troops of the garrison have been called out and stationed at various points to protect public buildings—a duty usually allotted to- the police. | There were 75 arrests in the Place j de I’Opera, where a riot began. Onej section of the mob cheered M. j | Chiappe, while another rival section j lacclaimed the Prime Minister, M. j i Daladier, and M. Frot, Minister of I ,_ J . | the Interior. ■ j The newly appointed Prefect ai' Police, M. Bonnefoy Seibur, camped all the night in the Prefecture. M. Paul Boncour and M. Marchandeau have accepted the respective portfolios of M. Fabry (War) and M. Pietri (Finance). j The Prime Minister, M. Daladier, lhas bluntly refused to answer press | criticism —some of which is pungentregarding M. Chiappe. He says his sole duty is to France, and he will allow nothing to stop him from throwing light on the Stavisky affair, so as to preclude the repetition of past weaknesses. The Government has replaced M. Renard, civil Governor of Paris, M. Chiappe’s closest associate, by M. Villety, Prefect of the Rhone. Many people believe the brusqueness of M. Chiappe’s dismissal was due to the Government’s fear of a demonstration by the police. Latest advices state that the police and the Republican Guard dispersed extremists and -ox-soldiers demonstrating in the Champs Elysoes and neighbouring thoroughfares. Several arrests were made. j A'DANGEROUS ATMOSPHERE FALL OF BASTILLE RECALLED , TANKS AND TROOPS CALLED OUT (Received 10 a.m.) ; PARIS, February 5. The Royalist newspaper “L’Action Franeaise” is organising a demonstration to be held when Parliament meets on Tuesday! j M. Frot, Minister of the Interior, 1 has ordered several tanks to be rushed j to the city. The whole garrison has j boon mobilised, and two regiments brought from other garrisons. j The National Union of Ex-Soldiers, j claim that they will put .10,000 demon-! strators in the streets tomorrow. . • ‘ ‘ The effervescence today is not less ! than that just- prior to the fall of the Bastille,” says “Echo de Paris.” Conservative newspapers feature every disturbance and print stories of machine guns secreted in Parliament. They suggest that bloodshed is inevitable. The air is full of rumours of a coming coup d’etat. Tanks are said to be housed on the left banks of the i Seine. i The Government, perturbed at the sitation, created by M. Chiappe’s attitude, called out the Republican Guards to ensure order, RUMOURS MODIFIED, NO SOLDIERS YET. PARIS, February 5. (Received .1. p.m.) PARIS, February 5. Although the city was full of alarmist rumours in which the. words “coup ’d’etat” and “revoltion” were freely circulated, well-informed people stated that not a single soldier has been brought to Paris —only the normal garrison lias boon warned to be iu readiness for duty tomorrow. Various garrisons in the neighborhood have been similarly warned. Meanwhile police patrols have been quadrupled and the mounted Republican Guards have been posted in the vicinity of the Chamber of Deputies. It is stated that troops will not bo employed unless the police guard is unable to j cope with the disturbances. |