The San Francisco call., 1909-03-18
k[YM[N'S STRIKE
ISO[ATES PARIS
MANY HOURS
Operators in Provinces Join the
Struggle and Cut of All
Communication
Situation Grows Worse, but
the Government Refuses to
Treat With Strikers

PARIS, March 17.-France for a time
tonight was practically cut off from
telegraphic and telephone communica
tion with the rest of the world and
Paris was isolated. "A few hours later,
however, telephonic communication be-
tween this city and London and Berlin
was restored by means of volunteers
from other branches of the public
service
Premier Clemenceau officially refused
to offer terms to the strikers. He told
the justices of Paris, who suggested a
bill creating a superior council which
would consider the employees griev-
ances, that, the government would
promise nothing while the employees
remained out
The premier declared the strike was
senseless, entailing the gravest conse-
quences not only to business, but to the
country from an international point of
view
The employees want to fight" he said,
''and we accept, but will not accede. I
am confident that the government will
win
STRIKE RAPIDLY EXTENDS
The strike extended rapidly through
out the day and at o'clock the oper-
ators a the Bourse marched out, sever
ing the last strands, which included
the French cable companys New York
Brest communication. simultaneously.
the failure of the night telephone oper-
ators to appear put the final means of
quick communication out of commits
sion.
The situation in the provinces can
not be considered much better the pub
lie service employees in most of the
larger cities following the lead of their
Paris comrades. The international and
interurban mails are at a standstill, en-
failing heavy business losses. Some of
the larger commercial and financial
firms have sent agents to London,
Brussels. Antwerp. Strassburg and
other places, where they are receiving
messages and conducting business. The
bourses here, at Lyons, Marseilles and
other centers are at standstill. owing
to the lack of quotations from foreign
exchanges.
The foreign office, in the midst of
the Balkan crisis, is unable to COM
municate with its representatives
abroad, and while the government con-
llHuSS 10 lnSlSt tudt II can HOL sur
render to it's rebellious servants, 1t is
apparent that the measures thus far
taken to suppress the strike have been
ineffective. Threats of suspension and
dismissal have only served to bring
the employees into closer union. Re-
serve operators summoned from the
country districts refuse to work. The
military telegraphers, through whom
1T was expected to re-establish wire
communication, were almost helpless
before the damaged switchboards and
instruments which the strikers left be-
hind.s Besides, it is now realized that
1t is practically impossible to replace
thousands of trained men in a moment.
1t was intimated tonight that the
government would find a way out of
the difficulty by putting M. Barthou,
minister of public works. posts and
telegraphs, in charge of negotiations
with the strikers. Behind him. NJ.
Simyan. the undersecretary, could, for
the present, efface himself With any
one except Simyan to deal with, it is
believed the strikers, the vast major
ity of whom realize the seriousness of
the offense they are committing against
the public, would soon come to terms.