Evening star., 1952-12-05
High Nationalist
Shot 10 Death
In Tuniisiid
Trade Union Leader
Found Dead on Rood:
French Set Curfew
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Pres.
TUNIS, Tunisia, Dec. 5.-Farhat
Hached, Tunisian trade union
official and a nationalist leader,
was found shot to death last
night near his -riddled auto
mobile on a highway south of
Tunis.
French authorities Immediately
placed 8 pm. to 6 am. curfew
on Tunis and the surrounding
area.
The murder came at a time
when Tunisia's demands for in
dependence from French colonial
rule were being heard at the
United Nations sessions in New
York. France has boycotted the
debate in the U. N. Political Com
mittee.
Planned Trip to u. S.
Mr.. Hached had planned to at
tend a meeting of the Interna-
tional Confederation of Free
Trade Unions leaders in New
York, but the French had
refused him permission to leave
Tunisia. The Tunisian Labor
Federation lodged protest
against the action on Tuesday,
saying this was the fourth time
Mr.. Hached had been prevented
from Snaking trips abroad.
The French said they banned
the trip because Mr.. .Hached made
political speeches on previous trips
out of the country.
Gen. Jean de Hauteclocque, the
French preSident-general of Tu-
nisia. was in Paris at the time of
the Staying. He left Immediately
by plane for Tunis.
In troubled Tunisia 116 per-
sons have been killed and 619
wounded in clashes between Arab
Nationalists and the French, ac-
cording to a recent French survey.
Mr.. Hached's slayers fired a
submachine gun burst from a
passing automobile at his car.
They apparently pulled the body
from the car, dragged it about 100
yards. then threw it on the road
after bashing in the head.
The first reaction of French au-
thorities was that the Staying was
either the work of Communists
or extreme elements in the Ma
tionalist Neo Destour (New Free
DOM Party.
Avowed Anti Communist. C
Mr.. Hached was an avowed
anti Communist and a spokesman
for the nationalists. who are
seeking independence from French
rule. AS a nationalist he was a
thorn in the side of the French.
He was made secretary-general
of the Union General Tunisienne
du Travail when it was organized
in January, 1916. After strike
riots in Sfax in August of that
year Mr.. Hached and another
UGTT delegate were banned from
the Consultative Social Commits
sion in the Tunisian government.
UGTT claims a membership of
10000.
Mr.. Hached was a member of
the executive board of the ICFTU,
the anti-Communist world labor
organization which was formed in
opposition to the Communicated
World Federation of Trade Unions.
A former WITH committeeman.
he turned against WFTU as Com
munist-controlled and more con-
cerned with Soviet foreign policy
than workers in Tunisia.
He was an auto transport work.
er and former Public Works De-
partment employe of the Tunisian
government before taking up with
the labor movement. He is sur
vived by a widow and three chill
dren.
Mr.. Hached was in the United
States last April as a guest of the
International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions, and was guest
of honor at a Washington lunch
con attended by the top leaders
of the American Federation of
Labor and the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations. The unions,
together on the issue of Tunisian
independence. pledged Mr.. Ha-
ched all possible help in influence
and resources in his fight.
Mr.. Hached arrived in the Unit
ed States the day after the United
States abstained in the voting in
the United Nations on the Tunis-
ian issue, a stand which brought
denunciation of the American del
Iegation from the AFL and CIO.