MORE COMMUNIST PLOTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 22 December 1924, Page 11

MORE COMMUNIST PLOTS.

COUP PLANNED AT AMIENS.

FRENCH SOVIET REPUBLIC.

PREMIER MINIMISES REPORT.

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. . (Received 7.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. 20.

The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post gives particulars of a Communist plot to seize Amiens similar to the plot discovered in Taris on December 7.

Sections of the Red Army were to march from their concentration points late at night and seize the Town Hall, the post and telephone offices, and the railway station and arrest the Mayor and other officers.

The citizens would awake in the morning to find a French Soviet Republic established.

A Paris message says the Premier, M. Herriot, in a statement concerning the reports of the discovery of Communist plots in France, condemns what; he describes as the daily publication of false news. He says the Government does not need urging to keep a watch on agitators, whether French or foreign.

As a matter of fact the maintenance of order has been in no way disturbed, but the press campaigns are of'such a nature as to injure the material and moral credit of France.

The country was not moved by the real perils of war and will not be troubled by imaginary perils.

Similar Communist plots were discovered in France on December 7. A message of that date states: —A party of 800 police and Republican Guards yesterday raided the Communists' quarters in the suburb of Bobigny. Four hundred persons were arrested, of whom 70 were ultimately detained. These included a former Communist member of the Chamber of Deputies. It is stated that documents were found which revealed a plot to carry out a Communist coup in Paris very shortly. The police intend to raid other suburbs in search of stores of hidden rifles. As a result of the operations of the police, the Minister for the Interior has issued expulsion decrees against 60 foreign Communist agents. Already the authorities have received complete indications of the measures to be taken for the Communist, rising. For example, the first step at Turcoing was to be the occupation of the Town Hall at midnight by armed bands. Subsequently the Communists were to endeavour to win over the crowd by announcing that henceforth meat would cost 50 per cent, less and that all the baker's' shops would be taken over by the Communists. The Paris correspondent of the Times states that the growing strength of the Communist movement in France is alarming all moderate Frenchmen.