Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-06-22

PARIS. June H-A battalion Of the
Seventeenth infantry regiment stationed
at Agde. in the department OF Herault,
has deserted with its arms and ammuni-
tion and Joined the insurgent wine growers
at Beziers, the headquarters OF the reGi-
ment. The mutineers who mostly were re-
cruits among the wine growers, number
about 400 men. They marched into
Beziers, which has about 5O,000 inhabitants,
with drums beating and colors flying and
are now camped IN the principal square
OF that city with stacked arms. The de-
serters tried to enlist the sympathies Of the
remainder Of the regiment, stationed at
Beziers. but failing to do so they promised
to eject them from their barracks,
Early this afternoon the sub-prefect Of
Beziers notified Premier Clemenceau that
the mutineers had offered to return to
Agde on the condition that they were not
punished. A little later they renewed their
demand to be allowed to reoccupy their
former barracks at Bezlers.
M Clemenceau ourtly replied that he re-
fused to parley with deserters or consider
any proposition but unconditional sur
render adding that he was determined to
utilize all the governments forces II neces-
sary in order to suppress the uprising.
Details of the mutiny show that a battal-
ion of the Seventeenth infantry regiment,
sent from Beziers to Agde on account Of
the Soldiers sympathy withSthA local wine
brewers. mutnied there this morning.
raided the magazine, filled their pouches
with cartridges and with fixed bayonets
and flags flying, marched out of Agde and
entered Beziers. When notified Of the
mutiny, General Croisade, commanding the
sixty-first brigade. met the mutineers at
Villeneuve and attempted TO persuade them
to return to duty.
General Pleads with Soldiers.
Soldiers" he commanded, kill me or
obey me"
The soldiers replied that they had no
desire to kill the general, but were deter
mined to enter Beziers.
A detachment OF gendarmes tried TO bar
the road, but after the mutineers had fired
a volley in the air they were permitted to
pass.
The news of this momentous DETECTION
OF troops, together with reports of other
mutinous eruptions at various points IN
the revolving provinces reached the gov
ernment this morning and caused the graV-
est concern. Premier Clemepceau fmmedi-
ately called a meeting OF the cabinet.
At the ministry Of the interior at noon
inouirers were informed that the reports
from Narbonne and Montpelier showed
that both cities were comparatively quiet.
It was announced that the government .
watchword remained 'The Law Must
Reign" Interior Minister BRAND IN
dignantiy denied the rumors that he had
resigned He said he was not such a
coward as to desert his colleagues in the
present circumstances
Demand Vote of Confidence.
The government was interpolated in the
Chamber of Deputies today on the meas
ures which II proposed to take in order to
restore order in the south. Premier Glenn
enceau. in the course Of his reply, said
that over 100 soldiers were wounded in the
hghtlng with rioters yesterday at Mar
bonne. He then fully confirmed the dis
patches OF the Associated press in regard
TO the mutiny OF n battalion OF the Seven
teenth infantry at Agde and its march TO
Beziers, and said he could not listen to any
proposition for the conditional surrender
of the mutineers. The premier concluded
bv demanding a vote of confidence.
The opposition deputies fercely attacked
the government, saying the cuirassiers
acted like Cossacks; that the troops fired
without provocation and without notihca-
tion: that women and children had been
slaughtered, and that the release of M.
Ferraul ex-mayor OF Narbonne, alone
would restore order. Otherwise, according
to one of the speakers. "the bloody rioting
of today will be the revolution Of to-
morrow"
General Bailloud with artillery and other
troops is proceeding 70 Beziers in order to
compel the unconditional surrender OF the
mutineers, who are now said TO number