Citrine sensation: telegram from French TUC withheld from British TUC (press cutting)

1936-10-09 010-0024-002 CITRINE SENSATION Telegram from French T.U.C. Withheld from British T.U.C. A SENSATION has been caused in the Trade Union Movement by the revelation that the French Trades Union Congress sent an appeal to the British Trades Union Congress to declare against the policy of neut...

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Bibliographic Details
Institution:MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Language:English
Published: 09 October 1936
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10796/25E829D6-EC24-4AA7-8F61-C58921F07DC3
http://hdl.handle.net/10796/853E2C87-9E63-4F29-A4BD-3F014D72C2EA
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Summary:1936-10-09 010-0024-002 CITRINE SENSATION Telegram from French T.U.C. Withheld from British T.U.C. A SENSATION has been caused in the Trade Union Movement by the revelation that the French Trades Union Congress sent an appeal to the British Trades Union Congress to declare against the policy of neutrality towards Spain and that this appeal was withheld from the Congress. The suppressed message from the French T.U.C. has been published in the Continental Socialist Press and in the "News-Chronicle." Its terms were as follows :— "The C.A. (The Commission Administrative or General Council of the French T.U.C.) note that the chances of attaining complete non-intervention are impaired by the attitude of the countries which have taken sides with the Spanish rebels against the lawful Government of Spain, and that the diplomatic reservations and the effective action of Germany and Portugal undermine the very principle of neutrality. " In such circumstances the C.A., in pursuance of its action on behalf of the Spanish Republic, considers it to be its duty to request the French Government to reconsider together with the other democratic Governments, the policy of neutrality. " The C.A. requests the French Government to take steps to summon as soon as possible the Council of the League of Nations, whose duty it is to proclaim what is the international law that results from the interpretation of the Covenant and to demand of all Governments that they strictly observe the law. " And makes an urgent and fraternal appeal to the British Trades Unions, which are at present meeting in congress, to associate themselves with our demand and to intervene in that sense with the British Government." The question is being asked whether the French appeal was withheld on the instructions of the T.U.C. General Council or whether Sir Walter Citrine, the T.U.C. Secretary, was responsible for the suppression. The Cause of Suicide I.R.A. Prisoners' Treatment (From our own Correspondent.) DUBLIN. DURING last week a coroner's jury in Dublin considered the circumstances surrounding the death of a young man, Sean Glynn, who was found dead in his cell in Arbour Hill Military Prison, hanging from a wall bracket with two towels tied round his neck. The jury added a rider to their verdict of self-inflicted death to the effect that the prisoner "was not a fit subject for solitary confinement." About three months ago another prisoner was discharged insane. Glynn's crime was that he was one of a party which commandeered a motor lorry to go to the annual Bodenstown Wolf Mine demonstration which was banned by the Government. He received a sentence of nine months from the Military Tribunal. His death lifts the curtain on a grim struggle waged by I.R.A. prisoners in Arbour Hill for treatment as political prisoners. For months they have been denied exercise as they refuse to go out unless they are allowed association. Strict solitary confinement is the rule, a soldier on each side guarding prisoners even when they go to church. It seems likely that there will be some relaxation of these inhuman conditions now but it is a tragedy that ordinary humanity can only be achieved at such a cost. 292/946/10/25(ii)
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