New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-31
CRITICAL DAYS IN FRANCE
Sabotage" Dominates Political
Situation of Republic.
Paris. July IS.


Sabotage" or the deliberate. scien-
tifc destruction of public property, has
assumed revolutionary proportions that
dominate the whole French political
situation. Ever since the great railroad
strike Of last October. organized by the
Labor Federation. which paralyzcd the
whole traffic system of France AMI
which was put an end 10 by the strong
hand Of NJ. BRAND. the unified Socialists
Of the Chamber and other revolutionary
agitators and anarchists have been clam o.
orinG for the unconditional reinstate-
mcut Of the men who participated in the
strike. including even those guilty Of
sabotage" To-day the situation is
this: So long AS the strikers are not re-
engaged the Sabotage" of the railroads
will continue. and so long as the "sabot-
age" continues the strikers will not be
re-employed During this period Of
deadlock the public, and especially the
travelling public, are the victims
Sabotage" has now become chronic.
Not a day passes but that a dozen acts
Of destruction are reported on the rail
roads. Rails are torn up, blocks Of
stones. or sleepers, are put on the
tracks: signal boxes are damaged. tele-
graph lines are entangled or cut, and
systematic attempts are made by means
of secret emissaries Of the Labor Fed
Grafton and by the 'anti-miIitarist
propaganda" controlled by the fedora
ton, to seduce the soldiers from their
allegiance and induce them TO make
common cause with the strikers. The
Labor Federation, after the defeat in
flicted by NJ. BRAND last october, found
that il was not powerful enough to con-
tinue its plans OF open warfare on So
ciety. and decided TO start a general
system of guerilla hostilities in the
shape Of isolated, sporadic sabotage
This has resulted in a sort of syndicalist
reign Of terror, which in the present
temper Of the French people may pos
sibly end. like that of 1894, with a day
resembling the 9th Of Thermidor when
Robespierre was overturned by the Con-
vention and guillotined
The party Of Bonapartist reaction
stronger to-day than at any time since
Sedan. proclaims that the present reign
of terror must end by another 18th
Brumaire and that Prince Victor will
become Napoleon V. But any one IN
touch with the national feeling #
the
ment at least no other form Of govern
melt than the republic could exist.
Nevertheless the popular wave Of indig-
nation Of the masses of the French peo-
pie. who hate social disorder, is such
that no ministry can remain in office
that does not make good the promise
made by Prime Minister Caillaux, 10
govern" and put matters to right
The "strong man." be it Premier Call
laux or falling him, BRAND, Millerand or
Poincar6, will find the bulk OF the nation
behind him whenever he is bold enough
TO crush this guerilla warfare Of the
Labor Federation.
According TO official figures, no less
than three thousand attempts have been
made since October TO wreck trains on
the French lines by expert "saboteurs.
These figures are stated on good author
ity 10 be far below the truth, and prob
ably ( 600 is the real number of criminl;
attempts at railroad train wreckage dur
ing the last nine months. Moreover
these murderous acts are openly en-
couraged and praised as heroic, plucky
deeds Of heroism" by the newspapers Of
tho unified Socialists. revolutonists
and anarchists, who have
all joined hands in the great struggle to
replacc the republic by the Commune Of
1871. 10 make the national ftte day
March is instead of July IA. and sup
press the stirring patriotic anthem the
"Marscilaisc in favor Of the Inter
The crisis is getting more acute each
dav. Sober republicans like NM. Ribot,
Poincar6. Leon Bourgeois, Loubet aud
others admit that the French republic
must soon he tested by its capacity TO
resist anarchy and TO crush under foot
Tho epidemic of Sabotage" The French
code offers effective instruments Of per.
forming the surgical operation The
railroad legislation Of 1915 makes per
sons guilty Of attempts against railroad
trains liable TO penal servitude for life,
or death when loss Of life ensues. In re-
gard to the seditious newspapers, the
laws Of 1893 and 1894 are quite severe
enough to deal with the situation. The
outlook is not too dismal provided the
is bold enough to turn a
Jtaf car to the parliamentary groups of
unified Socialists and revcluticnists and