New-York tribune., 1909-04-04
COMM UNE ANNIVERSARY
Postal and Telegraph Strike Marked
II IN Paris

Every year as the 18th of March comes
around French Socialists glorify the Commune.
The strike of the postal and telegraph en-
ployes BY pure chance has coincided with the
thirty eighth anniversary Of the proclama ton
OF the regime of anarchy that narrowly missed
destroying Paris. The occasion vas utilized by
the leaders of labor unions to signify their read
mess to join with the postal strikers and thus
start the much talked Of social revolution
Citoyeu Marcel Sembat and Citoyen GustaVe
Rouanct. Socialist Deputies from Mon'martre
take pride in boastng that they are the sue
cessors OF the communards who burned the
Tuileries and assassinated the Archbishop OF
Paris and other hostages. including Generals Le
Comte and Clement Thomas. Citoyen Sembat
speaks Of the Commune as "a happy paroXysm
Of generous fury Thanks To the warnings in
voluntarily supplied by the words aud acts OF
the Socialist leaders M. Clemenceau was en-
abled to perceive at once the gravity OF the sit
uation. and realized that unless the postal
strike was nipped in the bud and the right OF
government employees TO strike denied. all au-
thoritv would collapse and the death blow would
be dealt to the present form Of republican gov
ernment by parliamentary representation.
It is due solely to the energetic measures Of
Premier CIemenceau and his Minister Of Public
Works. Louis Barthou that the postal and tele-
sumption OF work of a large majority Of the
employes and without any disastrous capitula-
ton on the part OF the government, on the
other hand the labor unions by 40 means
discouraged. and declare that they have learned
how 20 profit by their experiences OF the last
fortnight. They repeat the words o. Citoyeh
Marcel Sembat: The Commune supphes IRE
futabIe evidence that the future social reVou-
ton may be awaited with confidence" What-
ever may be the result OF the strike, it seems al
most certain that others OF the same nature VIII
crop up at unexpected moments and put the
efficiency of the government to more severe
tests than have yet been encountered
Partisan strikes of the last few years have
given rise 10 new and formidable addition to
the French vocabulary, sabotage an effective
r,eanon of the strikers. meaning the destruc-
ton or injury 70 machinery or instruments OF
work Sabotage" during the strike OF the
postal and telegraph employees has been ac-
complished by the putting out OF gear OF the
delicate telegraph transmitters, by emptylhg
ink bottles into the postal boxes, by interrupt
ing the wires and by establishing short circuits
on ,be various lines It is interesting TO note
that actual cutting OF the wires has not been
resorted TO- This would have been too simple
and far too easily reparabe. Three methods of
sabotage" have been employed by the strikers
The first is twisting thin. almost 1nVls-
ible wire around all the wires attached 10 the
same telegraph pole. This prevents transmits
sons from being "canalized" by any one wire,
and messages mingle together in confusion and
become unintelllgible Another method is TO
fasten 20 an air wire another small wire which
reaches to the ground. This diverts the current
to the soil and stops transmission.
The strikers use very thin wire for this pur-
pose so covered with cement or putty of the
same color as the post to be almost invisible
TO cavalry patrols inspectors The third
means has been employed in the sewers and
underground passages containing telegraph
wires In these the striker would place
the fame OF an ordinary soldering lamp be-
meath the lead tubes which envelop the wires.
The lead melts and amalga:nates the wires,
that it s necessary for inspector minutely
to examine the entire line to find out the exact
spot of the sabotage. At several stations.
notably at Fontainebleau. the strikers succeeded
in twisting a sabotage wire around the wires
Of the telegraph lines and the wires that worked
the block system the railroad. Seventy
trains were held up. and accidents that might
have been appalling were narrowly avoided for
not only telegraphic communication was stopped
on the government telegraph lines but the auto
matte signals ceased to work and all traffic was
impeded g. l. b.