SABOTAGE IN FRANCE

Chronicle (Levin), 5 December 1947, Page 5

SABOTAGE IN FRANCE

(N.Z.P.A,

—Reuter

Communist Plan Grows Into Guerrilla Warfare

■, Copyright)

Received Friday, 10.20 a.m. PARIS, Dec. 4. The Communist sabotage plan, including widespread railway derailments, has grown into guerrilla warfare against the Government. Sixteen mobile guards injured at Salmson moior works, near Paris, last night are reported to be dead and others are in hospital. Mobile guards clashed with several thousand striking minerfc at Denain. Mobile guards in Nice used rifle butts and truncheons against a mob which cornered the police in a post ofhce. Twenty-two persons were admitted to hospital. Strikers uncoupled the engine of the Paris-Geneva express at Amerien, put out the engine's fire and delayed the train three hours. Strikers at Cannes occupied the post ofhce and stopped all services except the autornatic telephone. The trains from Paris are running half empty because of the derailments and the Paris-Toulous train was diverted from the stations which the strikers are occupying. Strikers and police clashed in Marseilles, where Ihe strikers held up food iorries with street barricades. Traflic in the streets, which is controlled by strikers, is almost at a standstill and no ships are unloading. All hotels and restaurants and many oi the shops in Nice are closed. A considerable improvement is shown in th metal and textile industries. It is estimated that only 4000 oi the 12,500 textile workers are still striking, The Ministry of the Interior announced that members of the national security services and police would be paid a daily bonus of 100 francs (about 4s 6d). The Government has called up 80,000 reservists to help handle the situation.