CLEMENCY URGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 134, 3 December 1938, Page 9

CLEMENCY URGED

FRENCH PREMIER

MEN WHO STRUCK

ANXIETY OVER LOCKOUTS

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received.December 3, 12.40 p.m.)

LONDON, December 2

The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says that the attitude of employers is creating anxiety in view of the tendency to humiliate strikers. The group led by M. Blum, the Socialist leader, promises to champion the strikers and denounces. lockouts.

The Prime Minister, M. Daladier, urges clemency.

Meanwhile the lockouts threaten the national economy. The Government's reprisals affect a few thousand workers. Half a million are still idle, but the situation is expected to be normal within a week. The Bourse is already more confident.

The dismissal of M. Jouhaux, secre-tary-general of the trade union executive, and other union leaders from State positions has angered the workers' organisations and it is feared will provoke further strikes. The Confederation of Labour issued a communique protesting again "excess reprisals at the risk of disorders.""

Police at Valenciennes arrested M. Albert Thomas, a trade union leader, after a chase at Denain, during which,

it is alleged, Thomas threw paving stones. It was a sequel to a free fight when 5000 strikers tried to prevent 'workers resuming. It is alleged that Thomas was responsible for the metalworkers' strike.

Dockers at Boulogne struck when told that they had broken their contracts, and all shipping except the cross-Channel service is held up.

National defence quarters express the opinion that the dismissals of Government workers do not exceed 18,000 or 21,000. They admit, however, that there are extensive lockouts in private industries.