Situation Reported To Be Worse

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1947, Page 5

Situation Reported To Be Worse

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter

, Copyright)

Received Tuesday, 8 p.m. LONDON, Dee. 2. Bas E^nd electricity workers joinea the French strikes yesterday and asdusk'fell large areas of Paris were without street and house lighting. The gas pressure, accordin-g to the Daily JMaiUs Baris^ correspondent, has reached the "danger level" and the water pressure has fallen off rapidly because severai pumping stations are strikebouna. Cinemas, theatres and night clubs have been ordered to close until further natiee to conserv® available electricity. The Paris Metro (underground_ raiiway) also stopped although the Times' Paris correspondent pointa out that the workers themselves are not on strilce. Compiunist leaders threaten to.call out bus workers todav, leaving Paris without any kind of transport except private vehicles, Br-ead supplies are so low that some bakers are rationing customers to one slic.e daiiv. Postmen who are rarely seen, are' each escorted by four or live gendarmes and troops are guarding all the radio. stations. Tlie Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent declares that the strike situa■|iou lias generally worsened. In some plaees men returned to work yesterday but came out in others and more than 2,000,000 are still on strike. Two thousand strilcers have sei/.ed tlie raihvay station at Brieve, in Southern France. The Republican Cuards used tear-gas, but i'ailed to eject the demoiistrators, and returned to their barracks. Troops and Mobile Guards used teargas to disperse a mob of strikers marching on an ironworks in Paris m an attempt to make tlie workers there leave their jobs. The marching strikers m et a solid cordon of guards and several were injured in clashes which roilowed. They persisted until tear-gas forced them to withdraw. Btrikers in Longwv, in Nortliern France, used a lorry to break tlirough a police cordon protecting non-striking workers in a motai works, but police remforcements ejected them. The debate in tlie Assembly reached new heights of tumult anid confusion when a Communist Deputy, -M. Francois Billoux, said he had written lu Marshai Petain in 1040 oll'ering to denounce the anti-Comnninist policies of J\L\L. Daladier and Reynaud. M. Daladier replied: "The situation today is the same as in September, 1930.' Tlie order to sabotage the Alarshall plan has been issued in Moscgvv. " Tlie Deputies continned to shout insults at each other, pounded their desk lids and stamped their feet. The Communist benches became so noisv with catcalls and shouts that they interrupted their own speakers. " The Assembly adjourned at middav for two hours after voting to troat the Anti-Sabotage Bill as a matter oi urgency. ITie Upper Ohamber of the Assembty rejected the Comuuinists' 320 amendrnents to the anti-strike measures by 132 votos to 35.' Although the Assembly adjourned a Communist Deputy, Raoul Calas, and other Communists were still in the cliamber at 4 a.m. They deelared they intended to remain until next session. Republican Guards entered the cliamber at 4.30 a.m. with an order signed by ir. Herriot, to removc Calas " by force if necessarv. " Calas and about 50 Communist Deputies were quietly ejected. All Ieft the chamber singing the Yrarseillaise. One said "We shall he back in the Assemblv this afternoon."