Paris, July 26. The Government has taken all measures to clear the Seine of barges Which have been stretched across the river between Paris and Rouen to block trafic, the Ministry of Public Works announced to-day, Barge owners, who have been striking for the last eight days, strung barges across the Seine to st the application of the 40-hour working week which they fear would favour the large companies at the expense of the smaller operators.
Detachments of Gardes Mobiles, under the direct authority of the Prefects, have since dawn prevented all communication between the barges and the shore, and detach-men's of sailors on board tugs have been breaking the barriers of barges. The action will be continued until all obstacles to navigation on the Seine are removed.
The communique from the Ministry emphasized that the barriers might have. grave effects on national economy and the provisionment of Paris.—Havas, of the gun crews also suffered m the sun and heat.
Nationalist and Republican aeroplanes, meanwhile, conducted bombing operations throughout the morning. In the afternoon the Republicans announced that they had stemmed Gen, Franco's thrust. The entire sector was blanketed with smoke from burning Brunete and surrounding villages.—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.