The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-10
THE RECENT TROUBLE BETWEEN
FRANCE AND ITALY.

From an exchange We condensa
the following sketch of the labor
troubles in South France, which
nearly caused war between that
country and Italy:
The excitement caused bv the
bloody fracas at AigUes-AIortes was a
very disagreeable reminder how easily
France and Italy might come to blows.
AfgueS-M is u small town noted
for its salt works, in the southeast of
France, not very far from Mines. The
Introduction Of 500 Italian Iaborers at
one of the salt works led TO bad blood
between the new corners and the
Frenchmen, who regarded the Itali-
ans as "blackIegs" and "scabs" and
'knObsticks, !" to use the three techni-
cal terms employed by the English,
Americans and Australians to describe
the workman who works for less than
the standard rate of wages. Bicker-
ings rapidly developed, not fighting,
and as all these southern workmen
are armed, it was no mere affair of
fisticuffs. When two Frenchmen were
killed, the French workmen rose en-
masse and hunted down the Italians
as if they had been wild beasts. In
vain the police and gendarmes en-
deavOred to separate the Infatuated
combatants. The Italians, although
outnumbered and besieged in barri-
caded farmsteads, fought savagely,
and it is estimated that fifty were
killed and one hundred and fifty
wounded on both sides before the ar
rival of the soldiery stopped the blood
shed. The Italians being cleared out,
the mayor issued an astonishing pro-
clamatiOn cOngratulating the towns
men upon their success and the COM
plete satisfaction of their demands. 1t
is satisfactory to know that this func-
tionaTy was promptly made to resign,
but his proclamation sheds sinister
CLEAN of light upon the state of French
sentiment in the district.
The Immediate result of the blood
shed in Argues Mortes was a series
of popular demonstrations against
France in the Italian cities, which
might very easily have brought about
the long-eXpected war. Angry mObs
in Rome attacked the French en-
bassy, and 1t was not without cOnsid-
cradle display of armed force that the
Italian government was able to pre-
vent the populace from lOOting the
embassy. In other cities more or less
serious attacks were made upon
and in one case the tram
ears of a French company were burned.
Fortunately, it suited neither govern
ment TO allow the passion of the mob
to precipitate a general war, and
hence both at Rome and at Paris |
every disposition was shown to accept |
the official explanations, aud to de- |
clare the incident at an end. The !
causa causans of the incident is, how |
ever, by no means at an end. That is, |
the influx of foreign labor into France. |
The French census returns published |
last month show that the number of |
foreigners in France rises even more |
rapidly than the French population !
declines. In 1851 there were only |
81 .307 Italians in France; in 1891 their |
had risen TO 2S6,Of2. Forty |
years ago foreigners of all nationalities |
in France only numbered |
$4,000; today they number 1,130,211. |
The Belgians alone number 465, $50. |
The Belgian, the Italian and the !
5paniard represent to the French
workman the danger with which Chi
lese cheap labor menaces the Austria
ian and the Californian.