Evening star., 1948-09-16
French Cabinet
|n1peri!|ed as
Strikes Spread
Aviation, Automobile
And Steel Industries
Are Hit by WoIkouts
BY the Assoeioted Press

5-day-old government, blud-
geoned from the extreme right
and left, teetered periously to-
day.
While Premier Henri Queuille S
cabinet wrestled with emergency
financial measures, a wave of
strikes, many of them Communist
led, spread through the nation. On
the right, followers of Gen. Charles
de Gaulle pushed a campaign for
national elections.
The cabinet faced one test on its
request for a law limiting the right
of police to strike. Debate may start
tonight in the Assembly.
It faced a second threat on the
premier's financial program, which
includes opposition to general wage
increases and the imposition of So
600 200, 900 francs (about $3.50, ,000,-
000 more in taxes. The last two
previous governments fell on SINH
lar financial programs.
Strikes Hit Industries.
The strike movement hit hard at
the aviation, automobile and steel
industries.
No new violence was reported
today, but the movement spread
rapidly in protest against the Gov
ernment's opposition to wage in
creases. In clashes yesterday, more
than 100 police and 80 workers were
injured.
About $4,000 miners and other
employees staged a 24-hour strike at
the Pat de Calais area and Lor-
raine coal pits.
Some 5000 workers of the nation
allied aviation industry still were
out on strike, although about 1000
had returned to work.
At the Renault automobile plant
about 20 per cent of the $4,000
workers who struck yesterday re-
turned to their jobs. The Com
munist-led General Confederation
of Labor sponsored a strike meeting
there today, but opposing groups
took over and the meeting broke up.
10000 Plan Protest Strike.
The left-wing Paris newspaper Ce
Soir said 4oe, 900 metal workers in
the Paris area would quit work for
several hours In q protest strike.
At Lyon 4 strike order was partially
observed in metal plants and the
textile and alemieal industries.
The gtate-owned airline was tied
up involving 1000 ground crewmen
and other trafiic personnel at Paris
two main airports, lie Bourget and
Orly. Air France planes were not
taking of.
Many Of the strikes were Com
mtlnist-led and held the threat Of
further clashes with police. How
ever discomfort among non-Com-
munist labor leaders-under terrific
pressure from the Reds to join the
walkout-was growing.
5000 Strike in Brest.
At the port city of Brest, 5000
Communicated workers struck, but
leaders of the Christian Union
pleaded with their followers to re-
main on the job
Some 10000 steel workers struck
yesterday in Northern France de-
manding bonuses of 5000 francs ($9)
each to offset cost-of-livmg IN
creaseS.
Communists, not being part OF
the new coalition government, are
avowedly seeking to overthrow the
five-day-old cabinet of Premier
Queuille, a Radical Socialist (con-
servative).
Mr.. Queuille calmly told news
conference last night he Is against
general wage increases and will i'm
pose new taxes.
Although the French franc hit
a new low on the black market OF
440 to the dollar against a legal
exchange rate of 311, Mr.. Queuille
denied reports in the French press
that drastic monetary reforms were
pending.
I'VE admire his courage" a
French observer said. "but we Won
der how many more days he will
stay in office"
On the right flank, supporters o1
Gen. de Gaulle's Rally Of the
French People RPF stepped ur
their campaign for new national
elections through stamp-buyine
plebiscite. Centrist and moderately
leftist forces dominating the coali.
ton government have opposed cleo.
tions on the ground they likely woulc
increase the strength of the Com
munists at one extreme and De
Gaullists at the other.
Andre Malraux, writer and aide tt
Gen. De Gaulle, said squads of RPF
supporters will plaster the country
with posters urging all who believe
in the wartime leader of the F'rencr
to buy stamps for 20 francs each anc
send them with letters setting forth
their stand to Gen. De Gaulle's home
at Colombey-d s-Deux- -Eglises.