Strike in Paris

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 54, 19 March 1937, Page 5

Strike in Paris

■Press Assn.-

A MILLI0N WORKERS CALLED OUT Sporiidic Fighting in The Streets ATTACK ON BOURSE

(By Telesrraph—

-Copyright.)

(Eeceived 19, 1.15 p-ai.) | PAEIS, March 18, " Oira million ■workers are eeti- * mated. to have answered, an over-» night call of the Federatdon o£_ Trade Unions for a goueral Strike, While it is emphasised that tfefl • action, is not directed against the Government, there is no doubt that it is meant as a waxning to tht Premier, M. Leon Blum, not to ramaia inactive in the face of the provocation of Fascisfc organisan tions. The original intention was to call a strike tbxonghout France but this was ahandbned and the stoppage is being confined to Fazi&i Paris was uncannily quiet this .monw ing, the almost complete abeenco of traffic xesulting in a stillness ©Qnn parable only with that .on Armistics Day. The question uppermost in everyone 's mind is how far ,the. Government is affected. The administrativa comp mittae of the Socialist Party, in a cqnw munique, affirms and expresses ' ' unf ailing confidence in. the Goverom6nt,,, but the Communist demand action against those seeking to apply the methods pf General Franco and Herr Hitlei; tflj France. Later in the morning the sinkers overturned two taxis and set on fire two "blackleg taxis." Another incident occurred on the steps of ihe Bourse, where 200 Communists engaged in hancb to-hand fighting with 700 brokers until driven out beyond the railings, from which the contestants shouted and spat at each other until the police cleared the streets. The prevailing aimosphere, however, is holiday-like, pickets bantering the foot-sloggers good-humouredly. The strikers returned to work at noon and the traffic is now norma! . " t