DRASTIC POWERS SOUGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26632, 1 December 1947, Page 5

DRASTIC POWERS SOUGHT

French Anti-strike Measures WILD SCENES IN ASSEMBLY Rec. 7 p.m. PARIS, Nov. 29. The Prime Minister, M. Schuman, placed before the National Assembly three measures upon which Cabinet had agreed for breaking the nation-wide strike movement. The British United Press correspondent says the measures, which are embodied into one bill, the “ Law for National Defence,” provided first, temporary increased emergency powers for the police; secondly, a complete revision of the country’s strike laws to make secret ballots compulsory; thirdly, drastic action against saboteurs and those who impede liberty to work. * The measures also provide for the reorganisation and strengthening of the Republican Guard, which the Associated Press explains comprises security companies for police work. The Republican Guard has widespread sympathy for the strikers as a result of which whole companies have already been disbanded. ' Under the measures, IVt. Schuman seeks power for six months to take action against those agitating strikes by “ speeches, writings, or tracts.” Approval of this power would give the Government a weapon against newspapers encouraging the strike, wave, which has now made idle 2,000,000 of the country’s 7,000,000 organised workers. Government employees guilty of agitation would be dismissed. It is understood that the penalties to be imposed on those violating Government measures include imprisonment from six months to five years. Communists, angrily shouting and desk thumping, constantly interrupted M. Schuman, who retorted: “It is your fault for.forcing us to take these measures. We must be armed against all illegal forces.” The uproar could easily be heard a considerable distance outside the closed chamber. M. Schuman further appealed, “ especially to workers who have been misled by bad leaders,” to return to work.

“ Some of the proposed measures will bring immediate relief to workers, but we cannot at present go further if we want to avoid inflation.” M. Schuman said. “ Communists are interested only in agitation and disorder. Among those causing disorders we find more and more foreigners. We will show no pity toward these elements, whom you send to France.”

into Northern France in the Arras area.

Strong forces of police and mobile guards are on the alert in Paris and other main cities. Police riot squads were rushed to Austerlitz station this morning to disperse strikers who jammed signal mechanism and immobilised trains Strikers at Vannes, six miles from Paris, hurled paving, stones ipto the cab of a moving locomotive, injuring the driver.

The Communists immediately launched a new barrage of deskthumping. At one stage the Communist Party secretary, M. Jacques Duclos, accused M. Schuman, who comes from Alsace-Lorraine, of having worn a German uniform in 1914. M. Schuman began to cross .the Assembly floor in an effort to reach M. Duclos, but the Colonial Secretary, M. Coste-Floret, stopped him. The President of the Assembly. M. Herriot, reproved M. Duclos, “You have’no right to speak in that way. M. Schuman suffered as much as anybody from the Germans.” After the Communist deputy, M. Bonte, attacked the Bill, the Communists sprang to their feet and sang a revolutionary song. Other deputies then rose and sang “The Marseillaise.” M. Herriot then ordered the clearing of the public gallery. , Papers Raided

Postal Services Hit The mail- collection section of the Paris postal service has been the worst hit by the postal strike. More than 2.500.000 letters are stacked in the chief post office. Letter boxes in. many districts are so full that people cannot get letters into them. An almost total strike in the mines is costing 150,000 tons of coal a day. with gas and electricity works in danger of having to close down for lack of fuel, and a total strike may now be ordered by the National Committee of the Miners’ Federation.

The Postal Federation has decided on a total strike throughout France of post, telephone and telegraph workers' members.

A total stoppage continues in the ports, and there is a complete standstill in the motor manufacturing factories in the Paris area excent for the Citroen works, which are reduced to a 60 oer cent, capacity. Twenty thousand road transport workers have struck in the Paris area, and the army is running foodstuffs into the citv. Textile factories have closed at Lille. Roubaix. and Tourcoing. Paris schools and universities are , still closed because of the strike of teachers and professors. Eight condemned criminals hope the strike will continue, because the executioner and “ Madame Guillotine ” are still out of action. The French National Assembly by 247 to 94 votes decided to treat the anti-strike measure urgently. The Communists began delaying tactics on the measure. They demanded a secret vote on each clause in the Bill. The Minister of the Interior, M. Juls Moch, warned the Communists that .if they pursued the obstructionist tactics, the Government would take anti-strike powers by a decree. M. Moch said that 324 striking saboteurs had been arrested withm 48 hours, including a number of foreigners. Some belonged to the armies of foreign States. M. Moch added that in northern mining areas, miners’ commandos had been rushing about the country in lorries bent on sabotage and sometimes enlisting the aid of German prisoners of war. The British United Press correspondent in Paris says the Communistcontrolled C.G.T.—French T.U.C.— asked M. Schuman to resume negotiations for a settlement of the labour disputes. It is reported that the unions offered to order an immediate resumption of work when the negotiations resumed. It is authoritatively reported that Cabinet rejected the C.G.T offer to call off the strikes if the Government withdrew the antistrike measure. . .. .. Cabinet decided, however, that if the C.G.T. first called off the strikes, the Government might reconsider the decision and discuss the matter with C.G.T. . , „ M. Schuman later denied Government negotiations with the C.Q.T.

The Associated Press reports that the police occupied the offices of two Communist news papers, L’Humanite and Ce Soir, and expelled the employees. They confiscated copies of both papers. The evening paper, Ce Soir, carried a 2-inch headline proclaiming. “Republic is in Danger.” M. Schuman’s anti-strike Bill, it declared, was a reactionary coup d'etat. A special edition of L’Humanite, in a similar vein, said: “The American Party is tearing up the Constitution. A reactionary coup d'etat is set for midnight.” The police were ordered to seize all copies of these editions, but some news stands were still selling them in the evening. The police cordoned the newspaper buildings before entering them. No violence is reported. The anti-strike movement in Pans railwaV stations gained ground to-day. Only one of the six main stations had no locomotive traffic this morning. The Golden Arrow express service to London was assured, while the principal services to points throughout Europe were also maintained.

Fifty-five per cent, of local and internal trains are now running. The postal services, however, are still crippled. Pressure in the gas mains is sufficient only to produce a flicker of flame. Householders filled baths against a shortage of water because of the municipal workers’ strike, which is showing signs of strengthening. Garbage carts did not leave the garages, and the streets are littered with unemptied dustbins. Saying France faces the threat of civil war, the British United Press Paris correspondent reports that two armoured divisions are stationed near Versailles ready to move into Paris in the event of serious disturbances. As the strike position becomes worse, the Government has decided to recall 80,000 men to military service. This brings the total strength of the military forces called up in one week as a precautionary measure to 15 divisions. , The army command recently moved an armoured regiment from Germany