MARCH ON FORD'S WORKS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20491, 9 March 1932, Page 11

MARCH ON FORD'S WORKS.

VIOLENT DISORDER. FOUR RIOTERS KILLED. (CKITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ZLZCTBIV TEMIGBAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (Received March Bth, 10.10 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 8. The Detroit .correspondent of the "New York Times" states that probably the most serious Labour trouble Mr Henry Ford ever encountered occurred to-day. when 3000 unemployed, under Communist supervision and instigation, marched to the main Ford plant at Dearborn, six miles from the city. They engaged in a serious riot with the police, jn which four marchers were killed, and at least 50, including about 15 police, injured, many serious enough to require hospital attention. Clio marchers' ostensible objective was to present a petition demanding employment. They allege that they never had a chance to present it. The riot came as a great surprise to the general public, inasmuch as Mr Ford recently announced that he soon would employ thousands to carry out his policy of increased production. However, a serious unemployment situation in Detroit, coincident with the severe depression of the automobile industry, has been in effect some time, and the recent curtailment of municipal relief produced unrest which apparently was uartly responsible for the demonstration. / It is reported that plans for tho march had been formulated for several weeks. These came to a head on Sunday at a Communist rally, where Mr William Foster, who several times Has been the Communist candidate for president, delivered an inflammatory; "speech. The march was started within the' city, and proceeded in an orderly fashion until it passed the Dearborn, city line, where the police attempted to halt it A riot ensued. Th® marchers were at first repulsed .by tear gas gombs. However, a strong wind soon blew away the fumes. Tho police drew their revolvers threateningly an.d ordered reinforcements, who rushed to the scene. The marchers attacked them with bricks, stones, clods, and frozen mud, and fought their way to the gate of the Ford plant, although several times checked by deluges of cold water, from hoses operated by firemen at the gates. A squad of police reinforcements blocked the way. One policeman fired his revolver, and a general melee started, the marchers using clubs and bricks, and the police firing revolvers, injuring many rioters in the legs. The demonstrators attempted to commandeer automobiles to remove the injured. They stoned a motorist who refused to give up his car. The riot was quelled after the arrival of over 100 Detroit police, and also State poliea. They cleared the area, where there were revealed pavements stained with blood 1 , streets littered with broken, glass and wreckage, and a bulletriddled automobile. Nearly every window in tbe Ford employment building was broken. Mr Charles Srensen, Ford's general manager, narrowly escaped injury while riding in an automobile with » company detective. The car was overturned by the mob. The detective was seriously injured. After quiet had been restored, Mr Ford's son, Edsel, and ether high company officials, visited tho hospital where the injured, marchers were treated. The policj arrested five alleged instigators.