The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-19
Government Declares | Will Not Yield to Demands
 of the Strikers
CONDITIONS GROW WORSE
 THROUGHOUT THE CITY
Food Supplies Are Running Short Be- cause the Funds Necessary to Bring In the Supplies Are Tied
 Up In the Postoffice.

Paris, March 1s.-There was not the slightest indication at a late hour to- night of a break in the deadlock between the government and it's striking employees, nor was there any prospect of an im- provement in the situation The strike, however, will be made the subject of consideration in the chamber of deputies tomorrow, and a solution of the prob lem may then be furnished.
 The climax of the strike was reached tonight when 5000 repairers, linemen and mechanics decided to join the strikers. These were the last remaining workmen employed by the post administration.
 Despite the fact that the cabinet at a session tonight passed a decree author izng the dismissal of it's late employees from the state service. and reaffirmed its determination not to yield, the semi official note giving the result of the meet ing also announced that many merchants had offered to lend to the government their employees to Insure the public serv- ices. This Is indicative of the complete ness of the te-up and the extremity to which the government has been forced.
 The note does not mention the sensa- tional rumor that the government intends to call the reservists to the colors. thus gathering in practically all the male postal employees and forcing them to work as soldiers under penalty of mutiny. This rumor, although 1t gained much cur rency, is discredited, as it is considered highly improbable that they would go to such length, the remedy being regarded as worse than the disease.
 Clemenceau's Plan.
 On the contrary, the general opinion is held that Premier Clemenceau asks only to save the principle from which he has contended and that If the chamber to- morrow indorses the attitude of the gov ernment the premier will be ready for the resignation of M. Simyan, the under secretary of posts and teegraphs and thus open the way for negotiations to bring the strike to a quick conclusion
 The strikers have refused to have any dealings with M. Simyan on the questions at issue. M Clemenceaus enemies it is stated. wish to seize this opportunity to overthrow him, but the chances are that the premier will ride the storm.
 With the failure of the carriers to de- liver letters in Paris this morning the chaos resulting from the extraordinary 4 strike was complete
 Throughout the day the situation in the capital and the provinces grew worse with every hour. The undelivered letters num- Der into the millions and not less than 100000 telegrams were stacked up this afternoon awaiting distribution. Foreign incoming malls remain unsorted and only small proportion of the outgoing mails have been sent away.
 Photographers Are Helpless.
 The few hundred military telegraph CTS brought into Paris are practically helpless and useless as they are not familiar with the recently installed Baudot Instruments and foreign tele- grams are being sent to the frontier for retransmission. Even the sale of post age stamps has been discontinued in the branch postoffces that are still open. The government has managed to Keep several wires open with London and Berlin for the purpose of conduct ing important diplomatic negotiations now in progress The telephone wires that were working last night were to- day out of commission
 few days more of these conditions and Paris will be reduced almost to a state of siege, far as food supplies are concerned. The funds necessary for the smooth running of the provincial trade are hung up in the postoffjces and the supply of provisions threatens speedily to cease. The banks are with holding payment of checks in the ab sence of advices from their correspond ents and prices at the stores are soar ing.
 Strikers DIsperse.
 A large body of strikers gathered at the Central station today and threat ened a breach of the peace but when they found that the authorities had a company of infantry in readiness in rooms adjoining the main office. thev left the building without creating any disturbance, The real element of dan ger is to be found in the threat of the
 
 is purely revolutionary organization. and the railroad unions, to declare sympathetic strikes
 Strange enough amid the intense anxiety in business and government circles, the masses celebrated mi- careme today. the usual pleasure loving crowds assembling in the boulevards to witness the grotesque procession and throw confetti Only the royalists seemed to get grain of comfort out of the situation which their newspapers hail as proof of the bankruptcy of the republic.
 The strikers gained many adherents today. men employed on the pneuma tic tubes joining the movement this after noon and the association of 30 900 postal apprentices indorsing by their vote the strike principle
 Strikers Claim Victory.
 The leaders already are claiming vic tory, in spite of the bold front as- stunned by Premier Clemenceau. who continues to declare that the govern ment cannot yield and intends to have recourse to soldiers first and then re- place the strikers with new appointees. Impartial observers however realize the impossibility of organizing an en- tirely new postal servce.
 Neither the military telegraphers nor the soldiers. the latter having been placed in the postoffces with the al- most insurmountable task of sorting l1 accumulated mail con r4nfl1E t4saa, have yet accomplished .a thau beginning. In order to orc thai patriotism the strikers lave detallsd two expert operators to tfar 't tie cipher dispatches which f, arsra snt is exchanging with the
 la ,nnsction with the Balkan