MADRID PARALYSED

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1930, Page 6

MADRID PARALYSED

BY GENERAL STRIKE

[United Presß Association —By Electric

Telegraph—r Copy right. J

MADRID, November 16. Madrid is to-day experiencing the dullest Sunday m its existence, and also the most complete general stride thus tar known. An outstanding impression is that the city has “gone dry.’ All of the cafes, bars and restaurants are closed, tbe employees joining tbe three hundred thousand strikers. The cinemas and theatres are also shut, resulting in thousands of people parading the -streets. The police have tactfully contrived to prevent the formation of crowds. They obviously were acting under orders to use the utmost -self-restraint and to avoid any further provocation of tbe workers, whom their leaders bad also warned not to resort to violence. Thus only a few minor clashes occurred, and there were no casualties.

Only two of the newspapers, empolving non-unionists have published, to-day. All of the food shops are closed, and there are huge queues outside of tbe bakeries.

Military lorries brought jn bread to the city from all parts of the country. The citizens are patiently suffering the inconveniences, including, a lackof public vehicles, but the maintenance of public services and street cleaning have been guaranteed by the strikers.

The Prime Minister of Spain,' General Berenguer, declares that Communists have inspired the strike. Forty Reds, mostly youths, and two Alidinettes have been arrested. The strikers say that their demonstration is directed against General Alola, tbe Police Chief, who has had long service in Morocco, and who they allgee, treated the workers is if tliev were Riffs.