New-York tribune., 1908-08-16
A STRIKE FAILURE
Fiasco IN Paris SeUere Blozc to Gen
erdl Labor Federation.
Paris, August

uaiIy newspapers or ParlS Idlleu W dppSoA 1891
Monday owing to the general strike OF the
compostors the effort OF the Confederation
Generate du Travail. or General Syndicate OF
Trades Unions to paralyze the entire life OF the
capital by means of general strike OF all trades
and industries was a fasco. That so small a
portion of the unions responded to the orders
of the General Syndicate is severe blow 10
that organization. This is the universal YER
dict, and there is very little doubt that in
future each union will resume the complete
direction of its own affairs The government
has decided to look upon general strikes as
revolutionary and TO put in action the extensive
judiciary powers which it possesses to put a
stop to them.
As a preliminary measure II has arrested the
leaders of the General Syndicate for the share
which they took IN the sanguinary COLLISION De-
tween the strikers and the soldiers at Willie
neuve st. Georges. and has threatened to DIS
solve the General Syndicate altogether unless
1t mends it's manners. 1t is needless TO say
| that this energetic action has met with the
approval of all lovers of order The press,
which had mainly TO suffer from the aborIlVe
attempt at a general strike last Monday al
most unanimously encourages the government
in this firm attitude, and NJ. Clemenceau fnds
| himself in complete agreement for the first time
in his life with of those who hitherto
have been his bitterest political antagonists
But it is not only the journalistic mouthpiec7s
of the upper and middle classes which applaud
the determination of the Cabinet to ward OF
the anarchical dangers which lurk in any gen
eraI strike movement. large proportion or
the socialists are on the same side, together
with at least two-thirds of the laborers them
selves.
The socialists who, in France have always
been in the main a school Of doctrinaires, dis
approve of the more less heretical methods
employed by the vulgar agitators who consti-
tute the active committee OF the General Syn
dicate Socialism in France has been painfully
built up upon the foundation of Karl Marks
theories. and though the Socialist party has
been divided at different times into groups
which were in disagreement with one another
on subtle points 1t has always remained strict
ly coectivist naaterialist and Marxist, for
which reason it was possible couple of years
ago to form the unified Socialist party, which
unites all the groups and outside Of which all
socialism is anathema-
The leaders of the unified Socialist party
such as NJ Jules Guesde NJ Jean Jaures, NJ
Lafargue the son-in-law of Karl Marx are all
honest and well educated men, and in several
cases orators of remarkable power who can
rivet the attention of the Chamber. NJ. Ricor-
deau, on the contrary. the leader Of the Gen
eraI Syndicate. is refugee from justice hav-
ing been condemned some time ago for stealing
copper wire from an electrical works. 1t was
no doubt the fear that the government had Of
him which enabled him to escape so long from
serving his sentence of four months in prison.
Now, however that he has been condemned to
six months Imprisonment for inciting TO armed
rebellion, he will have to undergo the other
term as well. Another of his colleagues, who
met his death in the collision with the soldiers
at Vineneuve St Georges also had a criminal
haa 1Orp +arr1
of Imprisonment for rape committed in the For
est Of Senart Such men as these represent
purely irresponsible and anarchical ambitions,
and are both despised and repudiated by the
parliamentary leaders Of socialism
On the other hand, great numbers Of work
inguen, though bound by their unions to act IN
concert when a strike is proclaimed, look
askance, and even with fear at the revolution
ary movement which the Confederation Gen
erale du Travail is openly and diligently foment-
ing A general strike. with its complete paral-
ysis Of all civic life, would. were it ever to come
about bear just as heavily upon the working
man as upon any other category Of citizens. In
addition to this 1t is a peculiarity of France
that the working classes are all capitalists.
There are two principal explanations for this
phenomenon-frst of all, the national charac-
terstic Of the Frenchman to save, and, sec
ond the great facilities which the government
and the principal banks place at the disposition
of the small investor To draw example
from railway stock: In every railway station
in France of first second or third class i'm
portance there is a special Office where the
woud-be investor purchase stock Of the
railway in question, and where all the financial
arrangements connected with his investment
such as payment of dividends. transfer Of stock,
ETC. can be effected without charge.
This is one Of the many great inducements to
saving which exist in. this country. The work.
man being in the vast majority of cases
catdtalist though a small one. Is opposed to
social and political upheavals. by which his
capitaI would be threatened. He is willing TO
strike if he thinks that by this means he has
fair chance Of safely gaining an increase in
wages but between that and revolutionary
movement such as a general strike would clearly
involve Though what its ultimate consequences
70 himself might be is by no means so clear to
hirn) there is a great gulf fixed which he Is not
anxious to span. This conservative instinct is
encouraged by the attitude of reserve adopted
toward the Confederation Generate du Travail
bv the parliamentary leaders of the unified So
ciaIfst party NJ. Jaures it is true. expresses his
oninfon in his organ. L'Humanite"-one OF
those which by the way. failed TO out
Monday last-that the failure of the general
strike and the bIoodshed at Vileneuve St.
Georges are both to be attributed to a regret
table weakness the part of the General Syn
dfcate which the future ought 10 correct He
thinks that the General Syndicate will continue
to increase in strength until its power will be
sufficient not only TO impose upon trade and
Industry any strike movement that it thinks
proper but also to hinder the military forces
,yhicr he calls the working classes of the bar