The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-03-18
FRANCE Is TElEGRAPHlCALLY
ISOLATED FROM WORLD FOR
A FEW HOURS.
SITUATION IS SERIOUS
Trouble Started by Postal Operators
in Paris Spreads Over Entire Ma
ton and Communication by Wire
and Phone Is Completely Demoral-
ized-6usiness Suffers Severely.

Paris, March l7.-France for a time
was practically completely cut off
from telegraphic and telephone COM
| munication with the rest of the world
| and Paris was isolated After a few
hours, however, telephone communi-
| cation between this city and London
and Berlin was restored by means of
volunteers from other branches of the
public service.
Premier Clemenceau tonight flatly
| refused to offer terms to the strikers.
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 ac-
cede. l am confident that the gov
ernment will win"
The strike extended rapidly through
out the day, and at o'clock the op-
orators at the bourse marched out,
severing the last strands, which in
cluded the French Cable company's
New York -Brest communication. Sim
ultaneously the failure of the night
telephone operators to appear put the
final means of quick communication
out of commission.
Not Much Better.
The situation in the provinces can
not be considered much better, the
public service employees in most of the
larger cities following the lead of their
Paris comrades.
The international and interurban
mails are at a standstill, entailing
heavy business losses. Some of the
larger commercial and financial firms
have sent agents to London, Brussels,
Antwerp, Strausberg and other
places, where they are receiving mes
sages and conducting operations. The
bourses here, at Lyons, Marseilles and
other centers are at standstilI, ow-
ing to the lack of quotations from for
eign exchanges.
The foreign office, in the midst Of
the Balkan crisis, is unable to COM
municate with representatives abroad,
and while the government continues to
insist that it cannot surrender to it's
rebellious servants, it is apparent that
the measures thus far taken to sup
press lile SlTlke nave Deen 1neIIeCtlVe.
Threats of suspension and dismissal
have only served to bring the employees
into closer union. Reserve operators
summoned from the country districts
refuse to work.
Almost Helpless.
The military telegraphers, through
whom it was expected to re-establish
wire communication, were almost help
less before the damaged switchboards
and instruments which the strikers
left behind. 1t was intimated tonight
that the governuent would find way
out of the difficulty by putting M.
Barthou, minister of public works,
posts and telegraphs, in charge of ne
gotiations with the strikers. Behind
him M. Simyan, the under secretary,
could for the present efface himself.
Public sympathy is against the
strikers, and it is cited that their
grievances are trifling compared with
the interests that are suffering. There
appears to be no danger of violence,
unless the labor organizations attempt
demonstrations tomorrow, which is
public holiday. The garrison at Ver-
sailles is held in readiness to REIN
force the Paris troops in case of
emergency.