STRIKES SLACKENING OFF

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1947, Page 5

STRIKES SLACKENING OFF

Received Wednesdav, 7 p.m. LOXDOX, Dec. 3. C'lashes between strikers and poiice occurred yesterday in various parts oi France, particularly in Marseilles, the original seat of all the trouble, and in tlie northern inining areas, luit all reports agree that there has been an appreciable slackening* of the strike moveuient throughout the country and the Times' Paris correspondent says this is being widely interpreted as a marked Ooinmunist ^setback. Certainly tlie strikes liave paralysed France for inore than a week but the correspondent says there never had been anything like a general strike and niost people agree that tlie Foimnunists would now like to retire from tlieir not verv tenable posilion i f only they could lind a wav oi doing so without losiug too nuich face. The Labour Minister, in a statenient to tlie D'ailv Kxpress' Paris correspondent last night. claimed that 75 per cetit. of the 2,000, ()()() workers who were out, have returned to work. Fnder police protection the luilk of the miners had gone back and in other (piarters it was claimed that the railway position wits SO per cent. normal. Theat res, cinemas a'nd night clu)>s reopened Jast night and letters were delivered in Paris yesterday for the lirst tiine for a week.