JUST PAWNS IN GAME

Chronicle (Levin), 11 December 1947, Page 5

JUST PAWNS IN GAME

(N.Z.P.A,

— Rey,ter ,

Communists Opened Eyes Qf French Workers

Copyright)

Received Wednesday, 7.0 p.m. LYNDON, Dec. 10. The French strikes which iasted three vveeks, eud oitici|iily today. A baek-to-work order was given last night by the Coniniuiiist leaders oi the French Fonfederation oL' Dabour hut the Times' Paris correspondent points out that many thousands oi' workers had already returned to work and that ihe order can therefore only be interpreted as a retreat from what was swil'tly beeoming an untenahie position. Tlie conclusions to be drawn, ihe correspondent says, are both eneouraging and depressing. Firstly it is obvious that the Communists in the confederation are no longer tihle to wield their former power, not so mucli beeause the non-Conununist elements which stand for proi'essional as against political trade unionism, have grown stronger hut because the worker himself seems to have sensed that he is being used as a ]iawn in a larger and luore desperate game. The present French Government, unlike its predecessor, has s1 ood up to the ehallengp and this has probablv done as nmch as anything to restore order. Xevertheless, the ('ommunist power in the confederation ronuiins ti strong wcapon. For three weeks it has been able to hold up Frtmee's industrial and social lil'e and "many French observers I'eel that there is no reason whv the same thing slwmld not happen again in two or three months' time. The events luive proved that it is not neeessary to eommand the unanimous support of Ihe workers in order to paralyse industry or part of an industry. The Paris undergroiind railway workers did not strike last week but because the slaff of Ihe electricity plant did, the undergroiind eame to a standstill. Finally, the present strikes, unlike previous strikes, have seen an ugly develo]mient oi' sahotage and this has prol'oundly shaken the Freneli people. Tlie Mvening fttandard's Paris correspondent says France is recovering l'rom ti , nightnmre of civil vvar. Pel'ore the wave oi strikes begttn. Ihe people I'eared that the Pommunists were strong enough to plunge the country into civil war. Political observers are convineed that, if new eleetions were held now, the Fommunists would be lucky to win.60 seats. They estimate that de (iaullists would poll 60 per cent. oi' the vote. The Comrmmist-oontrolled majority of the Confederation of Labour issued the baek-to-work order to its 120 striking unions after an emergeney meeting of the national strike eommittee, says lveuter's Paris correspondent. The eommittee issued a communique explaining that, after having heard representatives of eonstituent federations and "wishing to fulfil its duty* towards Ihe French workers." it had decided: (1) To order the resump tion of work tomorrow; (2) to eongratulate all those who had participated in or supported the "battle"; (3) to call on all workers to reinl'oree their unity within the confederation ; (4) to distriImte the available ifuids, partieularly to the families oi' "hjeroes who either t'ell or were imprisoned during this hattle." The eommuniiiiie added that the strike eommittee, having aceomplished its migsion, had decided to dissolve itself. Tho confederation, in its comimmique, made no direct statement that the confederation accepted the Government's term, hi ti reviewed the. Governincnt 's offers and told the strikers: "These results you ohlained by votir strike*."