New-York tribune., 1909-03-21
STRIKE In FRANCE
COSTING MILLIONS
OPEN REPOLT AGAINST
THE STATE.
Troops Under Arms in BdrTackS-
Strikers Defiant Plight of
4meriCan T'iafOrs.
fBy cable - The Trtbunel


mune. March Is 1871. The post and tele-
graph strike which has now lasted seven days.
did not at the outset arouse public enmity be-
cause the employees had certain grievances IN
regard to favoritism and patronage in promo
ton. and it was generally conceded that Julien
Simyan, Under Secretary OF Posts. TelegraDhs
and Telephones. had on several occasions been
too arbitrary and shown want OF tact; It Is
no longer a question of a strike of discontsntsd
employees, but of open rebellion Premier Gle
menceau was the first to realize that this was the
beginning Of the struggle between the state and
the labor unions to determine whether the ex-
ecutive power of France was in the hands OF
the government. responsible to Parliament. or
welded by labor unions. responsible 10 the
Socialists and controlled by the proletaFiat-
NJ Clemenceau at once nailed his flag to the
mast and accepted the battle Your CORE
spondent was present in the Chamber OF DepU-
ties last night. Seldom has any speech been re-
ceived with such genuine enthusiasm as the
plucky, frank. manly declaration Of NJ. Barthou.
Minister of PuLHc Works. who revealed the
gravity Of the situation and pledged the gov
ernment to fight it out to the bitter end The
sitting is likely to become historical The gal
leries were thrOnged. and prominent In the diplo-
matte tribune were the ambassadors Of the
United States. Italy. Russia and Japan. The
Socialists. led by Sembat. willm and Rouannet.
launched their thunderbolts. and NJ. SIrnyan
who has the appearance Of cavalry officer On 2
half pay. pulled nervOusly at his mustaches
and in his defence became confused He lost 2
himself in details and allowed himself to be
drawn into personal quarrels with the Socialist 3
deputies. who baited him as if he were a bull :
standing at bay. VI. Sinyan practically ad- q
mtted the attempts at favoritism in promotion
by stating that nearly all the ringIeaders OF g
the strike had been recommended to him by no
fewer than twelve deputies. and that Subra. the e.
originator Of the agitation and most active of p
all the strikers. had Endorsements for promotion q
from nine deputies.
NJ. BARTHoU's GREAT VICTORY
NJ simyan. who is feeble orator made poor
showing, and il looked like triumph for social
ism and anarchy until NJ Barthou. who is a
wiry, dark haired, nearsighted little man. with
highly intelligent eyes and penetrating voice.
made his mastsTful speech which saved the sit
uat1on, and NJ CIemenceau. backed by the vote
| OF confidence Of the Chamber and supported BY
the nation, viii fight the strike out 70 the death
Tho militarization Of the postal and rele-
graphic service. on the plan adopted by the Ital-
ian government two years ago during the rail-
road strike, has already begun To-day the
army is held in readiness to act at instant
notice, all troops being under arms in barracks
and fifteen cavalry regiments patrol and guard
the lines Of wire. In the face OF this determined
attitude Of the government the strikers remain
equally firm and undaunted The central move
ment Is directed by the revolutionary COMMITTEES
Of the labor union. which sits day and night
constantly changing its headquarters. and WORT,
ing hard TO persuade the railroad employees. the
workmen Of the provision markets. the grocsrs,
bakers and electricians to join the strikers
precautionary measures are being taken 50
that. If necessary. the food supply Of Paris can
be provided by the army subsistence depart
ment There is already in the Paris restaurants
a great scarcity Of fish. eggs. milk and fresh
vegetables Owing to the impossibTfty OF ex-
ecutive orders by post or wire. the army and
navy telegraphers who work the few lines which
have not been cut. destroyed or tampered with
by the strikers. meet formidable dffcuItfes- for
instance, they have not yet learned to work the
delicate, extremely complicated Baudot fnstrr-
ments, which are almost exclusively used on
the international lines and are capable Of trans
mitting simultaneously six messages on a sin
gle wire.
TRIBUNE'S MESSAGE TAKEN TO HAvRE.
Moreover. nearly all the telegraph lines ara
cut There is no telegraph or telephone com
muncation between Paris and Havre or Paris
and Cherbourg. and your correspondent has ben
obliged to come by train to Havrs 10 put this
message the Commercial Cable Company's
cables.
The spirit Of the strikers may be appreciates
from the following conversation which had
last night with Citizen Pauron secretary Of the
syndicate OF wiremen:
is there any prospect OF the strike ending
NO. not long as Sinyan remains in of7ca.
We all hate him"
Why cannot the army telegraph corps work
the wfres?"'
The wires are destroyed all over Franco
THE soldiers viii repair them will they not.
We will destroy them again Moreover 7
assure you. all the wires are suffering from
microbe that renders them useless. and will NOT
disappear until Simyan is dismissed or re-
moved"
NJ. wflm. the Socialist Deputy. when asked
this morning by YOUR correspondent after the
vote Of confidence OF the Chamber whether he
thought the strikers would resume work. said
No Ny conviction is that the strike will
continue and spread and assume still bigger
proportions than ever"
MILLIONS OF LETTERS DELAYED
Prime Minister Clemenceau who seems re-
juvenated and wonderfully braced up by this
brisk reminder Of the Commune days when he
himself was practically on the other side OF the
barricade, has been urged by friends to compro-
mise by accepting the resignation Of his un-
/ popular under minister. NJ Sinyan. but replied
| by repeating the words of Abraham Lincoln: I
| shall not swap horses while crossing stream"
/ II Is. nevertheless believed that as soon as the
/ strikers return TO work NJ. Simyan Will De asked
| to resign.
| There are already in Paris alone about tw eIve
| million letters and more than four hundred
/ thousand dispatches undelivered Il is calcu-
lated that the decrease OF business on the Paris
Stock Exchange. owing to inability to execute