REACTION OF THE FRENCH IiTNERS TO POIPIDOU'S APPEAL
In the Lorraine Basin
(As reported in Le lionde, March 10-11)
Does this mean that the oration of the Prime Minister had no effect whatever? Quite visibly, in this city of Chenes, where some 4,500 persons of miners‘ families live, and where television sets are numerous, the oration -- the "sermon," some miners would say -- aroused neither a warm nor a chill response...
In one of the clean, neat little homes where I found myself in the company of six people (four underground miners and two women), the reactions, as lir. Pompidou's explanations went along. were rather ironic and bitter. There was little or no growling, | just wry smiles.
"That's true, that's the miners...responsible fer this here inflation," said one of the women watching the television screen.
The men were more explicit, "Him," and he gestured at Mr. Pompidou, "when he wants a raise, he doesn't run up against any ques: tion of conversations or negotiations."
"He ought to come here. We'd show him our pay slips," insisted another miner. _
sake
Finally, out of disgust ro doubt, one of the two womer concluded: "The day I voted for that big Charley I would have done better to break a leg. Anywazx, from now on, never agair."
‘In the l‘ord Basin
(As reported in Le Figaro, March 9-10)
It was an underground mirer who told re the following:
"When he reached the chayter that interested us, we seid: ‘Ah, at last, he’s going to speak about us.’ And it’s right there that the first criticism comes of the head of the government. He spoke of the miners. He didn't speak to the miners."
Two underground miners told me:
"Our first impression wa: that he didn't speak squarely to the miners. He said, ‘Mister.’ talking to the journalist te was facing. You don’t speak to us that way."
As for the broadcast as : whole, the remarks were bitter. Here are some random phrases caught on the fly:
"What we're interested in is cetting what we're asking for... They take us for kids -= we don't want any promises because they don't stand up...We want action...We want immediate talks with all our unions together and we're not going back to work until that condition is met if we have tc’ live on bread and water while we're waiting...The miners have firnly decided to keep gp the struggle to the end for immediate resu:.ts and not for the month of feptem~ ber.
(ote of the government promises is to "review" the situation next September if the miners go back to work now.7
THe COUP D'BTAT IN SYRIA
By T. F. Santy
The coup d'état in Syria, which toppled the Khaled el Azem government on March 8, exactly one month after the Kassem government fell in Iraq, testifies again to the unrest and ferment in the Arab world.
In 1958 the