The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-12
STRIKE IN FRANCE
DELAYS THOUSANDS
OF AMERICANS
Employees of Several Railroads Quit
Work Today and Complete
Tie-Up Of Traffic Is
Imminent.
Tourists From United States Pay
Exhorbitsnt Prices for Autos
To Reach Calais.

PARIS, Oct. 12.-The employees OF
the Eastern railroad Joined the strik-
ers today and the 4,94S kiloineters OF
the railroad are now completely tied
up.
After q long session, the employees
OF the Paris, Lyons & Mediterranean,
the greatest railroad In France, adj
journed this afternoon and immedi'
ately cards, bearing the words SIX
O'Clock" were distributed among the
men. This was taken to mean that
the men on this line had been ordered
to 70 out at o'clock tonight.
The strikers have begun to tamper
with the brakes on the various trains
and the Southern Express narrowly
avoided a serious collision at Choisy
Leroi, six miles from Paris, because
the brakes would not work. A serious
collision Is reported on the Western
railroad.
Practically the entire French army
Is under arms, prepared to protect the
railways. The strikers are deranging
telegraph lines and railroad signals SO
that IT Is dangerous TO run trains even
with army engineers In charge.
A strike of the employees on the Met
ropolitan railway. owning and operat-
Ing all the Paris underground system.
II favored by the men.
A strike of the omnibus drivers and
tramway men, in sympathy with the
railroad men, Is also being discussed.
The employees OF the Midi (Central)
Railroad, announced this afternoon
that they would join the general
strike. This road operates in the
southern part Of France.
The employees OF the Western rail-
road. owned by the French govern
ment, Joined the strikers last night.
the Northern railroad employees hav-
ing gone out first The probabilities
are that before tomorrow all lines In
France will be affected and that traf-
&C will be completely tied up.
The Western railroad. comprising
ISL kilometers. employing 1886 en-
gineers and firemen and Asia general
employees. 10 completely paralyzed. Not
. tram n moving. and all boat
trains" carrying tourists to the ports
Of departure Of American transatlan-
tic liners, have been abandoned. AS a
result there are thousands OF Ameri-
cans held up In Paris. An automobile
service to Calais and other seaports
n being maintained and several Anne
ricans have paid 5000 for five-passen.
ger car for the trip.
The military today occupied the st.
L0xare, Mont Parnasse and Invalides
depot, though not train is leaving
any of them. Would-be passengers,
however, became SO boisterous that II
was necessary for the soldiers to be
placed on guard.
The strikers have ignored the gov
ernment's call for them To join in the
colors as reservists and will be classed
as deserters In five days. Efforts 10
make them man their own trains, as
military reservists, as decreed by tho
cabinet. nave thus far proven unavail-
Ing and rioting Is expected II the gov
eminent attempts to use force to carry
out the order.
A labor leader this afternoon made
sensational speech, In which he de-
clared IL the strikers were forced to
obey the order to Join the army AZ
reservists they would retaliate by
shooting their officers.
That the strike Is spreading to the
great Orleans line was manifested this
afternoon when the troops were called
out to guard the Bordeaux express,
when the crew had struck, after block
Ing the line