SAFETY OF FRANCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 107, 18 February 1950, Page 5

SAFETY OF FRANCE

CABINET APPROVES CO-ORDINATION

SEQUELS TO MOVES BY COMMUNISTS

(N.Z.P. A.—Copyright)

LONDON, February 17.

Reuter’s Paris correspondent says that a special meeting of the French Cabinet ended early this morning after deciding on measures to co-ordinate the security seryices in the face of Communist agitation against the Atlantic Pact and the war in Indo-China.

Sources in the Ministry of the Interior said that French troops were ready t<v replace dockers if they refused to handle war material or unload arms shipped to France from America. The first shipments of arms under the Atlantic Pact are expected to arrive next month. The Cabinet yesterday drafted an older to provincial officials on the protection of State and public services against attempts at violence or sabot -age. The order deals especially with measures to safeguard military materials. Details have not been disclosed. Observers say that there is every sign that the Communists are mounting another big-scale offensive. About 10,000 miners in*he northern coalfields threaten to strike for 24 f hours to-day. Railways throughout France will be brought to a standstill during the morning rush in a stoppage ordered by the Communist-controlled Confederation of Labour.