Many Deputies Abstain

Northern Advocate, 29 November 1947, Page 7

Many Deputies Abstain

The National Assembly passed a resolution of confidence in the Government by 322 votes to 18G.

During the debate, M. Schuman, announced that definite measures would be taken today to deal with the strikes, which arc paralysing the country. “You will have proof within 24 hours that the Government intends to act energetically and efficaciously,” he said.

This announcement was made in answer to a Right Wing deputy, who asked how the Government proposed to prevent the Communist Party from spreading anarchy throughout France. The Communists put up speaker after speaker to accuse the Government of betraying the workers’ interests. All claimed that the strikers would not surrender until their demands were fully met.

The Socialist Minister of Transport. M. Pineau, charged the Communists with acts of sabotage. Raising his voice amid a constant barrage of interruptions, he said: “The working class is not behind you. We shall never permit that a people will? ing to work be prevented from doing so by violence.

"I tell you clearly the Government will take measures to prevent the ex - tension of these methods.”

Eighty-three deputies abstained in the confidence vote. They included 32 members of the Right Wing Republican Party of Liberty, 29 de Gaullist Radicals, 10 Conservative Peasant Party members and some Popular Republicans who left the party' because of de Gaullist sympathies. Abstentions marked the deputies’ disapproval of the composition of thfe Cabinet, which excluded those of declared de Gaullist sympathies.