CLASHES IN PARIS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 December 1947, Page 5

CLASHES IN PARIS

(N.ZJP.A.

— Reuter.

Police In Violent Struggle With Strikers

Caawrlaht)

Received Monday, 9.15 a.m. PARIS, Nov. 30. Clashes .between the police and strikers Ka,ve been reported in various parts of the city. The police, after a 90 minute violent struggle, repulsed over 100 strikers who forced an entry into the Montmartre telephone exchange. The police also intervened when railway saboteurs attempted to place detonators on the railway lines.- The police forcibly ejected strikers from two factories, who resisted with bricks and fire brands. They made eight arrests. The police today seized editi'ons of four Communist papers. One was the Marseilles paper, Rouge Midi, which carried a headline, "They Want to Assassinate . the Republic." ,Two - other papers were in Toulouse and one in Bordeaux. The French Assembly adjourned at mid-day until this evening after the Communist Deputies had again delayed proceedings. The Nation al Assembly by 247 votes to 94 decided to treat the anti-strike measure urgently, but Communists began delaying tactics on the measure. They demanded a secret vote on eacn clause in the Bill. The Ministcr of the Interior (U. Mochj warned the Communists that if they pursued obstructionist tactics the Government would take anti-strike powers by decree. M. Moch said 324 striking saboteurs had been arrested within 4.S hours, including a number of foreigners. Some belonged to the armies of foreign States. Al. Aloch added that in the northern mining areas miner-commandos had been rusliing about ihe country in lorries bent on sabotage and soinetimes enlisting the aid of (lerman priso'ners of war. The British Pnited Press corresponilent in Paris says the Communist-con-trolled C.G.T. — the French T.P.C. — asked Al. Schuman to resume negotiutions for a settlement of the labour disputes. It is reported that the unions offered to order the inimediate resumption of Aork when the negotiations were resumed. It is authoritatively reported that Pabinev rejected the C.(f.T. oiler to eall off the strikes if the Government wilhdrew the anti-strike measure. Cal>inet decided, however, that if the C.G.T. first called off Ihe strikes the Government might reconsider its decision and diseuss the matter with the P.G.T. M. Schuman later denied Government negotiations with the P.G.T. Tlie (ii)V(M nnuMit decided to suspeml newsprint supphes to the ofiicial Communist Part.v newspaper l'llumanite. The ^authorities also suppressed a twice weekly broadcast by a French organisation called "Friends of the >Soviet Pnion" because it had been officiallv ruled as anti-French propaganda. The police ordered all night clubs and places of entertainment to close at midnight to avoid the earlv morning crowds which might get involved m disorders. The police reported sabotage on the railwav lines at Paris and Lille. The Paris suburban line was cut in four places and telephone wires beside the line were also cut. The Bordeaux dockers, whose strike immobilised 18 ships, have decided to

resume wor k on jjeceniDer j.. A later message states that the Communist deputies continued their obstructionist tactics throughout the night and at 5.30 had held the Assembly in continuous session for 24 hours. The C.G.T. called on its six million I members to continue their strike action.