THE TROUBLE IN FRANCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2113, 22 June 1907, Page 2

THE TROUBLE IN FRANCE.

M. ALBERT’S ESCAPE. United Press Association—Copyright PARIS, June 20. M. Albert escaped disguised as a woman. M. FERROUL’S ARREST. DEMONSTRATION BY WOMEN. PARIS, June 20. A i'resli winegrowers’ committee replaces the arrested men. When M. F.erroul was arrested at ■Narbonne the military were obstructed by a lurgo body of women armed with pitchforks. The loader, wearing a red cap, carried a big pistol. M. Ferroul appeured at a window in a night-cap and pyjamas, and urged his bodyguard to remain calm, declaring, ‘‘l surrender. This is the proudest day of .my life. It needed 10,000 soldiers to arrest mo.” THE CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.

LONDON, June 20.Mr. Yves Guyot, in a letter to the Times, states that four Departments are concerned in the wine crisis, representing three and three-fifths . of tiie population of France. The vineyards are only one-fifth of the surface of the four departments, their output 30 per cent of France’s total quantity, and 15 per cent of the total value. The cause of the crisis is manifest. After the phylloxera scare Italian wines were prohibited and Spanish heavily taxed. The Winegrowers in tho four departments, imagining they commanded the home market, planted a vine called A ramnion, which yielded much fruit, but tho juice had. vory little alcohol. The result is the wine will not keep and cannot bo transported. Then the winegrowers, wishing to strengthen tho wine, added suga'r to the vintage as it changes into alcohol, and next added water. They previously had too much wine and too feeble in quality. IThey made more wine of worse quality. ’ The wine trade refused to purchase it. The winegrowers tried to conduct the trade themselves, and were compelled to seek isolated customers, and incurred losses. FIERCE FIGHT WITH SOLDIERS, MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED. Received June 21, 10.40 p-m. PARIS, June 21. A message from Narbonne, dated June 19th, delayed in transmission, reports that a patrol of cuirassiers tonight, being hissed, charged the mob on the Boulevard Gambetta with drawn swords. The rioters hurled chairs at the soldier’s horses. One horse was killed. The cuirassiers then fired a carbine volley; the rioters replying with revolvers. lifteen of the demonstrators were wounded and one was killed. A barricade was erected which the infantry demolished. Two of the wounded have since died. Many soldiers were wounded. Martial law was proclaimed on Thursday. SPEECH BY THE PREMIER. TROOPS “PROTECTING BUILDINGS.”. STORMY SITTING OF THE CHAMBER. Received June 21. 10.50 p.m. PARIS, June 21. In reply to an interpolation in the Chamber of Deputies M. Clemenceau declared that the troops had defended and continue to defend public buildings when attacked. His orders were that the troops were not to load their rifles until the last minute and only fire in the event of extreme danger. Though his heart bled this ’duty was clear, for the unity of the country was at stake. The troops defending the Sub-Perfecture at Narbonne were assailed with revolver shots.

Mr. Mulas (interrupting): They did not reply. . They are heroes. (Prolonged and unanimous clieer6.) Mr. Clemenceau, proceeding, said the firing continued and men were seen to fall. The mob was twice summoned to disperse. Then what might be expected happened. One of the rioters was killed and fifteen were wounded; but he feared the number of troops wounded was still greater. The officials at Narbonne were unable to do their work. Similar events had occurred at Montpelier, an ex-convict being included among the rioters, several of whom have been arrested. Nearly all those arrested at Montpelier were youths belonging to the Anti-Republic party. The statement led to uproar amongst the members of the Right and cheers from the Left, with cries of: “They are hooligans and not winegrowers who attacked pmblic buildings at night.