Evening star., 1948-10-21
1000 Strikers
Drive Off Police
AtFrench Mine
Piekets lnjure 30
In l5-Minute Fight
At Seized Pitheod
BY the As,ocioted Press

PARIS, Oct. 21.-A force of
1000 striking coal miners beat
back police and were reported
to have wounded 30 of them in a
15-minute battle today for the
Ricard mine near La Grand
combe, in South Central France.
Ten of the injured police were
in serious condition, the semi
official French news agency said
One miner was wounded. All were
taken to the mine hospital.
In the fighting the miners hurled
scrap iron. sticks and stones.
The police dislodged the pickets
at dawn. At noon the strikers re-
turned with reinforcements and set
upon the police, who had dug in
around the pithead. Tear gas
grenades used by the police proved
ineffective. The strikers captured
ana held some of their opponents
while the rest of the police re-
treated.
10 Coal Mines Flooded.
The Interior Ministry charged
that 10 Frerch coal mines have been
flooded and one set afire By the
neglect of strikers. The strike be-
gan October 4. Violence f1ared this
week when Communist union lead
ers ordered maintenance crews to
abandon mine pumps and ventila-
tors.
The ministry announced that
police were sent by air to help clesl
picketS from the mines. The air
borne police alone, the ministry said,
have managed to save from flood
ing mine shafts with a capacity OF
1900 tons a day.
In the Loire River Basin. the min.
istry added, the strikers refusal to
man security devices has resulted
in the loss Of some 4.100 tons daily
capacity for several months. about
5000 miners will be out of work
for that time, the ministry said
An Official spokesman refused de-
tails about the number of police
sent by air to the trouble spots.
The pro-Communist newspaper CeI
Soir said 26 planes carried 500
police to st. Etienne. where new
violence was said to have erupted
Another so planes with troops ar.
rived at Lyon, the newspaper said.
The spokesman said these figures
were suspect"
Explosion Danger Grows. !
The flooded mines are in Central
and South Central France. In the
north, where two-thirds of the
country's coal is found. the mines
are dry. But there the neglect of
mine security services has created
the danger of coal-damp explosions.
The striking General Confedera-
ton of Labor tCGT) claims to rep
. resent 80 per cent of Frances 1885,
600 miners. 1t is demanding that
the government withdraw a decree
to fire 10 per cent of the mines
surface workers as an economy
measure. 1t also wants the mini
mum wage lifted to $1,000 francs
$500 month. Thus far the strike
has cost France over $500, 900 tons
of coal.
Sixty to 80 truckloads of soldiers
have been dispatched to the st.
Etienne sector, where so persons
were injured yesterday in a clash
between strikers, troops and police.
Strikers Behind Barricades.
Strikers are dug in behind barri-
cades fronting the st. Etienne mines,
ready to battle any government at
tempt to seize thes pits.
Industrial Production Minister
Robert Lacoste warned again that
any mine in danger of ruin from
flooding will be taken over. Com
munist labor leaders ordered main
tenance workers out of the pits
Monday, as the strike entered its
third week.
Mr.. Lacoste said that as a result
Of mine flooding at least 10000
miners will be out of work even after
the strike ends. and France would
(See FRANCE, Page A-3)