Evening star., 1946-09-13
Squatters' Campaign
In London Becomes
Endurance Contest
BY the kssoeioted Press

LONDON, Sept. 13.-London's S
sQuatter campaign took on the
appearance of an endurance
contest between police and hun
dreds of invaders of vacant
London luxury flats today as the
government drive to quell the
Communist-inspired movement
gathered momentum after a slow
start.
The situation quieted during the
night after the nearest approach to
violence In the five-day-old squatter
invasion, when, mounted police
herded 1000 squatter sympathizers
off the street near one occupied
building without injury to any one
The incident took place in front
of Abbey Lodge in st. Johns Wood,
where approximately 1.50O squatters
have taken over unoccupied apart
ments which normally rem: fol go
to f24 $3.50 10 $96l per week.
Both water and light were cut off
in the building and squatters hung
out pleading signs from the windows
reading I'VE want water" I'VE
want bedding" DO something
about US"
Food Office Set Up.
In the Duchess of Bedford House,
where the invasion started, squat
tiers set UP food office" on the
ground floor to exchange bread
units for points for other rationed
foods. A baby suspected of having
measles was removed from the
building in an ambulance.
Today the first Londoner arrested
since the squatters began their trek
from the blitzed East End to the
empty homes of the wealthy faced a
court on charges of obstructing
police. He was arrested during a
skirmish With police last night.
Meanwhile, King George VI was
drawn, at least nominally, into the
biggest British political fuss since
the Labor Party came to power Is
months ago. A letter to be delivered
by hand at Buckingham Palace,
squatters in Fountain Court said,
called attention specifically to the
case of a disabled eX-serviceman
and his wife and child, aged year"
living in one room of relatives
house.
Squatters in one apartment build
ing sent a letter to King George VI
offering to get out IF the West
minister Council will put us into
other accommodations"
There are 4l0 empty fats and
houses in Westminster" the letter
said. There are 1000 people on
the housing waiting list; these flats
would easily accommodate the most
desperate cases.
The King normally acknowledges !
such communications and refers
them to the proper government de-
partment-in this case the Minis
try of Housing.
Police Follow 3-Phase Plan.
Police were following a carefully
mapped three-phase plan an
nounced after an emergency cabi-
net session yesterday and adhering
carefully to the complicated legal
code, involving % prevention of
further seizures by the squatters;
co blockading of some buildings
already occupied, and 80 legal ac-
tion through the civil courts in other
cases.
Scotland Yard equipped some of
its patrols with walkie talkies and
advised them to act with discretion,
but to remember that they Have the
power to arrest in cases of forcible
entry and also that in some cases
a gathering of people might consti-
tute an unlawful assembly"
The squatters themselves sat tighti
In their waterless and lightless flats
and the Communist party, whose
secretary general, Harry Pollitt, told
a mass meeting last night that the
working class is in a fighting
mood" limited that the endurance
test was just beginning
The Communist Daily Worker an
nounced that a march in support of
the squatters would leave Hyde Park
at pm. Sunday for secret desti-
nation"
A measure of support for the
squatters game from the borough
council of Holborn, site of the
vacant 620-room Ivanhoe Hotel
taken over by a dozen squatter
families Wednesday night, which
backed demand that the Works
Minister release the Ivanhoe and
other empty hotels for housing relief