NO MERCY SHOWN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 April 1938, Page 7

NO MERCY SHOWN

APPEAL BY THE PREMIER REJECTED ANTICIPATION OF MORE STRIFE IN INDUSTRY. PROBLEMS FOR INCOMING GOVERNMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association, Copyright. PARIS, April 8. The Senate showed no mercy during M. Blum’s two-hour appeal to it not to reject the Finance Bill, members flinging angry words across the Chamber. M. Blum declared that he realised that his Government was doomed, but defeat would mean fresh troubles, because the workers were thoroughly conscious of their rights and resented the Senate’s over-riding the popular Chamber He declared that the Popular Front was more solid than the Senate realised. This produced a thunderous outburst. The President, Jeanney, jumped up, quivering with emotion, and told M. Blum that the Senate reserved freedom of action and would decide as it thought necessary, after which M. Blum could draw his own conclusions. The loudest and longest ovation in living memory followed. M. Blum left in dead silence. During the Senate voting on the Bill, voices from the deputies in the gallery called: “Shoot Caillaux.” Senators replied angrily “We know how to defend ourselves.” The future outlook is by no means a happy one, indications pointing to renewed and more violent industrial strife because of the failure to form a National Ministry, which is considered to be the only thing that could have avoided a continuance of the country’s nervousness and induce the workers to give up wrangling with their employers and co-operate in efforts to produce national unity. Serious doubts are expressed whether M. Daladier will be able to achieve anything where M. Blum failed, especially as the workers bitterly oppose him and resent the maner of M. Blum’s defeat