SERIOUS TURN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 13

SERIOUS TURN

EVENTS IN FRANCE POLITICAL PARTIES CLASH STREETS FIGHTS IN MARSEILLES (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) PARIS, June 17. (Received June 18, at 5.5 p.m.) The situation in Marseilles has taken an ugly turn owing to the assumption of a political complexion with the intervention of the Jeunesses Patriotes and other Right organisations. Numerous clashes are occurring with the Front Populaire. Youths of the Right and Left, wearing tricolour cockades or red brassards, marched shouting war cries along the Cannebiere. Reinforcements joined both sides, and fighting began. Passers-by left the trams and public vehicles and joined in holding up all traffic.

The Gardes Mobiles separated the combatants, but the bands re-formed elsewhere and resumed hostilities. The Right rioters took refuge in a disreputable gambling house, six of whose habitues barred the gate and prepared to defend the building with revolvers. Members of the Front Populaire attacked the premises, and the Gardes Mobiles intervened, but the crowd, after an exchange of missiles, refused to disperse.

RAID ON ARMS FACTORY FRUSTRATED BY POLICE PARIS, June 17. The Leige strike took a .grave turn when strikers attempted to raid an arms factory. The police drove them off and arrested 15. Gangs attempted to stop traffic in the city and interfered with pedestrians, necessitating repeated police charges. The strikes are spreading elsewhere. All transport services, with the exception of the railways, arc threatened.

THOUSANDS STILL IDLE ( LEGISLATIVE MEASURES PASSED PARIS, June 17. The Senate has passed Bills permitting indemnities to civil servants, exempting ex-servicemen’s pensions from taxation, and granting paid holidays to workers. The metropolitan strikers still idle number from 50,000 to 00,000. The situation is no better in Marseilles, and is worse at Lyons, St. Chamond, Angers, La Rochelle, Le Havre, and Mulhouse.