GREAT CITY PARALYSED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20359, 17 July 1934, Page 1

GREAT CITY PARALYSED.

General Strike Stops Business in San Francisco. SOLDIERS MOBILISED TO KEEP ORDER. 1500 Men Loot Grocery Shops and Other Violence Occurs. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received July 17, 10.15 a.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, July 10. COMPLETELY PARALYSING the metropolitan area, with a population of more than a million and a quarter, the general strike called by the labour unions became effective at 8 a.m. to-day. Theatres, amusement places and small shops are closed, and department stores are uncertain of the length of time which they may be able to remain open. The mobilisation of 1000 or more soldiers at Los Angeles indicated preparations to send possibly the full strength of California’s National Guard into the strike-strangled city.

Violence has broken out here and in the trans-Bay region. The police said that a mob of 1500 men stormed and looted grocery stores in 23rd Street and Mission Street. At Hayward fifty men raided the alleged Communist headquarters, dragged the furniture to a nearby lot and set it on fire. Pickets approached pedestrians and warned them not to go to work. Arising early thousands trudged miles to their offices. Most of them ignored the passing automobiles, apparently fearing that even private machines would be attacked. One picket was seriously bayoneted last night by a militiaman and another group was fired on by troops after the pickets had stoned the soldiers. Three negro dock-workers were shot and killed when a truckload of workers was fired on by four men in an automobile. Some of the negroes were armed and returned the fire, wounding one of the attackers. Hoodlums smashed the windows of an Oakland food store. Army Preparing. There is unusual activity in the Federal Army barracks, indicating that regular troops may supplement the National Guard; but there is no confirmation of such rumours. It is also rumoured that troops for replacement are be-

ing moved in from as far east as Texas and Kansas should the situation get out of hand. Yesterday downtown streets were deserted except for the police and for bands of rowdies who are taking advantage of the situation by looting stores. Starve the City Out. It is understood that the strike committee has made arrangements to bring food in for the strikers’ families, but, in effect, they propose to starve the rest of the city out until the longshoremen’s demands are met. The employees of the Market Street tramway, to the number of 4800, struck at 2 a.m. yesterday. Scope of Strike Extending. The scope of the strike has now extended to include the so-called San Francisco Bay area, with 1,200,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, up and down the coast from British Columbia to Mexico, radical unionists are agitating for sympathetic strikes in an effort to tie up the entire Pacific coast. The executive body of the general strike committee has decreed that milk and bread supplies will be kept moving for the time being, and that hospitals «hpuld have fresh meat. City officials have discussed the advisability of setting up a central food depot to distribute necessities.