Valencienne, Feb. 24.
The long-threatened strike of steel workers in northern France materialized to-day when 3,000 employees of the Scieries clu Nord went on strike. They demanded an eleven per cent. increase. in wages instead of the 4% per cent. offered by the arbitrator. The men were partially engaged in national defence work— ment to inaugurate the conversations suggested in July 1937 The whole Government, including Mr. Eden, were agreed that the conversations with Italy were desirable. In the course of exploratory conversations, the Foreign Secretary made it plain that Spain and propaganda were grave obstacles to the Bossibility of an agreement, It was upon that basis that Mr. Eden saw the Italian Ambassador again with the Prime Minister on Friday morning last, and it was only after that interview that a sharp difference of views between the Prime Minister and Mr. Eden manifested itself, Shortly put, what the Prime Minister thought should be vital conditions of the agreement that would issue from the conversations, Mr.
Eden thought should be conditions precedent to the inauguration of the conversations themselves, Upon this immediate issue, Mr Eden resigned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.