Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-25
LABOR CRISIS IN FRANCE
Preparations for General strike
which May he Precursor of
Revolutionary Movement.

PARIS, April 2.-The gravity OF the strike
movement throughout the country. which
assumed alarming proportions last week,
during the height Of the excitement caused
by the San Francisco disaster. hssl mo-
mentarily improved but the people have
been wrought up to state of apprehension
concerning the imminence OF a crisis May
!, when all the ranks of labor will make a
gigantic eight-hour demonstration. Whether
this will be accompanied by violence and
bloodshed is only conjectural but tho peo-
pie are intensely alarmed and the authori-
ties are adopting extreme military and po-
lice precautions. The garrison at Paris is
being rapidly strengthened and It is ex-
pected that 5000 troops will be available
here May l. In the mining regions there
Is another camp in which an army corps is
ready for eventualties. and similar precau-
tlons are being taken at other conters.
The labor organizations do not conceal
'e fact that II is their intention to make
'preme effort. These bodies are partly
~ Sed OF anarchists and revolutionists,
IA nsei violence. but the responsible
}, 'st that the movement has
pao similar to the American
eight. astrations. Nevertheless. IT
is feare1 lawless element may get
the upper his inspires the public
with feelins bordering on panic.
Some of the ne ers freely assert that
the movement is L prelude TO a revolution
in which the proletarat intends to over
throw the existing regime. This has had
the effect of greatly alarming the more
nervous OF the people. some of whom are
sending their valuables abroad and are pre-
pairing their residences to resist attack.
The strikes in the north, where 10000
miners are still out where book printers
employees Of jewelry and paper trades are
on strike; at Brcst. where all branches OF
! labor have voted for a general strike, and
at other points. are merely precursor OF
the national labor movement to be inau-
gurated May l. when It is expected that
the entire proletariat will quit for a day
and perhaps for a longer period of time.
The masons and many other branches of
labor decided today to quit, from May 4
to May TO- without violence. Employees Of
grocers, dairymen. butchers and bakers
and all purveyors Of food supplies. as well
as hotel servants, are meeting tonight and
there is promise of decision for similar
cessation Of work. complete suspension
OF operations throughout the building
food, Industrial. commercial and other
branches-is probable.
M. Clemenceau, who as a minister OF the
interior bears the brunt of responsibility,
first sought TO avoid Intervention by the
military, but now is energetically gather
ing the civil and military forces. When
three Of the chief agitators visited M.
Clemenceau today he brusquely declared
that they were outside the breastworks.
as they had favored violence. and he there
fore refused to treat with them. The in
fiuentinl bourgeois classes demand of the
ministry the, sternest repression, while the
equally influential socialist element de-
mands that there be no interference with
the right to strike or with elght-hour DEM
\ onstratioTs
IL is believed That electioneering is re-
sponsible for some of the wild exaggera-
tions which are afioat, but nevertheless the
situation at best is menacing and full OF
possibilities of danger.