GENERAL STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 30, 30 October 1942, Page 6

GENERAL STRIKE

Threat. Averted In i ' France WORKERS FORCE NAZI CONCESSION (By. Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright'.) London; October 28. A recent threat of a general strike in Fraice 'cotnpelled Germany- and Vichy- to-climb down over-the com-pulsory-deportation of -French workers to-Germany. ’ Fear that-the consequent paralysis of French transport -would be-disastrous-if a second front were opened caused Germany to order Vichy to negotiate with the workers. The “Daily'Mail” says it was the first time -since the fall of France that the Germans, have been forced to yield to an ultimatum.. - The-trouble flared up at the GnomeBhone .'aero engine works,. where 700 out of 4000 workers had been chosen for immediate transfer, to Germany. Only 15 agreed to leave,. whereupon Laval ordered; the discharge, of the remaining 655. The effect was , like an explosion; every worker flung down his .tool?. , . ; ' :.•••

The authorities called - out. mobile guards. The chiefs of the three great underground organizations sent an ultimatum to Vichy that a general strike would begin on October 17 unless the conscription of workers for Germany was abandoned. Laval Fails. The Germans threatened to courtmartial the workers.’ leaders, who retorted : “We are used to courts-martial? We will strike.” 31. Laval was ordered to open negotiations with the union leaders, though unions had been declared illegal. After three' days of the greatest tension, Laval informed the Gestapo that he had failed and that the strike would go on if the workers were conscripted. The Germans put the enrolment date forward to October 22, and then, to October 30. The Vichy Cabinet held an acrimonious- meeting which broke up without a decision being reached. The Germans Anally backed down and deferred the registration date till December 31.

Vichy radio, appealing today to French' workers to go to Germany, said: “If you refuse, the line of demarcation between the two French zones, which is at present symbolic and temporary, will become real and lasting.” . . .. A Geneva report states that police had to clear rioting crowds from the platforms when four trainloads of French workers left Paris for Germany on October 27. The workers arrived in escorted lorries, and German infantry guarded the approaches to the-station., , ... ' .’ i Darlan; in Algiers. .;. ; Vjichy radio announced-that Admiral Darlan, continuing his inspection tour,: visited, the. garrison at Oran and went on Algiers'. In an interveiw with the “Petit Parisien” General Nogues, GovernorGeneral of Morocco, declared : “Morocco'will be, defended with unabated energy. The ,na jives will come down from the villages at the slightest call. Our coasts are as strongly fortified as those of West Africa.” WORKERS’ VICTORY Another Month Probably Granted By Berlin LONDON, October 29. The fifteen days’ grace given by Hitler for filling the French quota of labour for the Belch ends tomorrow, but now it seems certain that another month has already been granted. ■ ' “The Times” states flint the resistance of tlie French' workers to Her-' liii's bullying and Vichy’s cajolery marks a major victory. It pays a tribute to the workers’ spirit. LIFE AT EL ALAMEIN Wellington Soldier’s Pen Picture Writing from the El Alamein line in August, Sergeant 1 ; J. Armstrong. Wellington, gives a picture of life there before the present advance. "We have now been here for eight weeks, a long time-.for front-liqe troops, .and for the last fortnight or so it has been very quiet,” he says. “We have advanced two or three, times, and now hold high.ground, but generally it is. a bit' of a stalemate. The infantry have done some marvellous work. They are the best in the world without a doubt. After we put down a barrage for them to go in under we hear what they have to advance against, yet they always get there. ... . “Our biggest worry are the flies — millions of ’em.' The ground we are on is very foul, through having been fought over for the last six days, and the dead ■ bodies lying around helped the/ flies' to breed. Sometimes they nearly drive one mad. We have been issued a special hood to wear over the face to keep the flies away. While one has to use one hand to eat with, the other goes into action to keep off the marauding flies. We have rigged up fly-traps, laid poison, and indulge in vigorous swatting, and believe that we are slowly getting them down. . . . We do a bit of digging-to keep fit, and do'some shelling periodically. The rumble’ of guns can be heard all the time up and down the line, and sometimes at might "the whole line can be detected by., the flicker of gunfire. "We have the Maoris near us, great lads, who are having the time of their lives. They have captured a German gun, and blaze away with it when they can raise the ammunition. . . . One of the funniest things seen during a recent attack of infantry was an Italian, with a shirt on only, being chased by a Maori armed with a bayonet. Phar Lap cbuld not have caught them. Being a gunner, the Maori did not know how to use a bayonet to the best advantage; so, when lie got back, they handed him a Tommy gun. We can now’ look back and laugh at some lof tlie incidents that happened, but actually these, attacks are the most terrifying things one could wisii to see. “Our food is quite good, as. fresh meat and vegetables are coming in now, and about three times a week we can buy a few cans of beer, so we are not doing so badly. Nights are the most pleasant time. We boil the billy just before dark, make a piece of toast, and sit round the fire to smoke and yarn. W r e never get a full night’s sleep, as the guns have to be manned by one unit or other all through the night, so it is a matter of dropping off and waking up all the time, but it does not seem to affect us. . . . The mornings and evenings are the usual hate periods when we fling a few shells at one another, but during the day, due to the heat haze, visibility is very poor, and we try to get some sleep.”