The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-16
FRANCE ESCAPES
STRIKE MENACES
Spread of Labor Unrest as
Shown in Italy and England
Not Feared by French.
BY NEWTON C. PARKE.
international News Service Staff


consequently
PARIS, Nov. 16.--nespite a steady
increase in the cost of living in
France last summer and frank state
ments that prices win go higher this
winter, there is no prospect of a
spread of Bolshevism and absolutely
no danger of any of the kind of
Gently witnessed in Italy and Eng
land.
AS cold weather approaches labor
conditions may become more unset
tied and the country may experience
few strikes. But the decisive man
ner in which the General Federation
sOf Labor voted down Bolshevism at
its recent convention at orleans in
dicated the temper of the working
classes even better than the failure
of the attempt last summer to carry
out a general strike. Right now
French labor is the most stable, I'M
revolutionary organization of its
kind in all Europe.
Figures presented at the interna-
tional congress on finance at Brus-
sells showed the cost OF living in
France to be higher than in any CIV
ilized nation in the world. and about
twice as high as in the United
States. The report made by the
council of the League of Nations,
taking the figure 100 as a basis, put
the present cost of living in leading
countries as follows:
France, 1888; Italy, 800; Norway,
POS; Switzerland, 237; England, 2S5;
Holland, 1879; United States, 1873.
But salaries of the average work
ingman in France have been creep
ing steadily higher, partly keeping
pace with the increased cost of liv-
ing. Naturally this has resulted in
steady increases in the prices of
most commodities, How far this So
called vicious circle" will continue
TO turn before a wave of price-cut-
ting sets in, is impossible to deter
mine. The French newspapers
print reports of price reductions in
the United States alongside stories
OF increased meat prices in France,
and inquire sadly when the tide will
turn in their country. Some eco
nomic writers think the break will
come early/next spring.
The absence Nof unemployment on
any large scale Is one of the prin-
cipal factors working for industrial
peace. Resumption Of industrial ac-
tivity in all branches and the reha-
Utilization of the war devastated re-
gions have brought jobs to nearly
all the demobilized soldiers and even
the radical labor organs have no
complaint to make on this score.
The Cachin section of the Socialist
party, led by Marcel Cachin, who
wants the French workers to join
the Bolshevik, met with an over
whelming defeat at the General Fed
Grafton Of Labor meeting. One of
the most convincing speeches
against Cachins program was de-
livered by M. Dumercq, one of the
delegates, who declared a revolution
was now impossible in France.
IF you Cachinites try to start a
revolution you will find yourselves
facing machine guns and rifles in the
hands of your .fellow-trade unionists
seated here who can not be deceived
into initiating the Russian catas-
trophe," shouted Dumereq. why,
some of your own men, munition
workers, who sit up late nights vot-
ing resolutions Of support to the So
Wet government, begged to be al
owed to work 16 hours day max
ng shells for the Poles to use
against the Bolshevili because they |
,ould make more money"
Something may happen to change |
he policyk OF the workers of France |
,efore next summer, but 1t is quite
Undoubtedly next May
irst will bring recurrence of the
nnual stories of revolution and
of the annual clash between
'olice and labor demonstrators with
ONE fatalities. But the whole body
4 French labor seems to be moving
long path quite as peaceful and
ven little more so than is labor
N tho Irnitad Ctatea