The Washington herald., 1919-12-28
BADLY BEATEN IN FRANCE;
REDS GLOAT OVER ITALY
Northern Part of Latter Country Swept by
Bolshevism at the Polls

| 1oi In 1914. and the Radicals. under
the leadership of the alleged traitor
Caiilaux. have rs members In the new
House instead Of the 163 elected last
| time. OF the GIG deputies chosen. the
Clenienceau coalition commands more
than 400. The extreme right, or Royal
J list faction, which would like TO restore
| the historic Kingdom of France, will
have only % votes and is not con-
| sidered a serious factor in politics.
Direct action" is the DOGGY that
worries Frenchmen. despite the vic
tory at the polls over the extremists.
Not a few Conservatives have Ia
mentsd to me that more moderate So
cialistS or Radicals were not elected.
for with a chamber representing the
upper and middle classes they believe
that the workers will tend to repudi-
ate its decisions and turn to the
French A F. OF L, the "Confedera-
, ton Generate du Travail" universally
known as the &C. @. t." to enforce
| their demands by unconstitutional
means. Revolution Is in the minority.
the election proved that: but Russia
/ has proved that organized minorities
can sometimes seize power.
1t Is the c. G. T.. composed Of most
OF the workers on the railways, In
the mines and In all the key indus
tries Of France. that holds up Its
sleeve and not infrequently threatens
10 employ the dread weapon Of the
general strike. 1t is not necessary to
add that extremist agitators, the /.
w. VS. of France. are working in
side the organization to get control
/ into their hands. The day on which
Z AnA -
the republic
"Down with BoIsheviks,, Cry.
The following analysis Of the situa-
ton in France from q well-informed
| source indicates the present position
and the fear that Frenchmen have
lost the very success OF the conserve
tive coalition may precipitate labor
demands urged next time not at the
polls. but through direct action" and
! the c. G. T
Down with the Bolsheviks" was
Clemenceau's cry. and II rallied the
country. The Socialists attacked the
peace. and openly proclaimed their
sympathy with the Russian revoIu-
| ton. Every Frenchman who would
save France from Red ruin and
Soviets must vote for the coalition.
, The particular shade of politics OF
! this or that candidate did not matter
, provided he approved Clemenceau and
i, hated Bolshevism. This was the sim
pie message that could be read last
I week in La Presse de Paris, the omni-
| bus journal to which the printers
strike reduced hfty-seven daily jour
mails.
prominent editorial writers dis
| played there, in the narrow space
allotted them. a wonderful unanim-
! ity OF appeal and abuse Of defeatism
and defeatists. OF violent Socialist
candidates whose voice was the
voice of Lenine. and Of timid So
cialist candidates who piped Of So
cial reform. In the provinces the
cry was the same, with suitable
variations for townsmen or peas
ants. And except in certain indus
trial regions which have long been
| strongholds OF the moderate Social
! lists, and some Of the devastated
regions where the Tigers writ does
not run, it was successful.
| The middle class, big and little.
was undoubtedly frightened, to-
gether with a certain number of
the working class. 1t is not to be
supposed that everyone believes all
the hair-raising stories that he has
been told of Bolshevism and Of the
designs of the Socialists. But the
nation is tired, and there Is a wide
spread longing for tranquility. To
many who have that feeling the
! Socialist program seemed only to
OFFER promise of new adventures
and continued strife-and a strife
for something too remote and too
negative. Whether a constructive
policy would have won more ad-
herents it is difficult to say.
Lack Organization.
"1n any case the unified Socialists
! had little more to offer in the way
of construction than their oppo-
nents. Their strength was GENERALLY
supposed to lie in their oTSaniza-
tion. Yet. amid the optimism which
prevailed on this point during the
! last few months, there were always
doubtful critics. The French So
cialist organization. good as il may
be as a piece of electoral machin-
cry. Is not that fundamental thing
which the Belgians possess. There,
the labor movement Is an organic
unity-Labor party. trade unions ard
cooperative organizations are three
integral parts of single whole.
Action by the trade unions in Bel
GUM has the whole weight of the
political party and the co-operatives
behind il. and similarly in an cleo
ton the Labor party can rely Oh
the same undivided support.
But the Confederation Generate
du Travail of France is not only an
independent, but an avowedly anti
Parliamentary body. Its members.
Individual trade unionists, may and
of course do vote for Socialists
But there Is not the same sense OF
certain section of trade unionists
TO the political party.
TT does not follow that the C. G.
T. Is wrong in not binding itself to
the Socialist party. but merely that
In the circumstances the Socialist
party's organization is bound 10
some extent to suffer. 1t is no Sc
cret. moreover. that during the
summer relations between the two
bodies were strained.
For the moment, France has given
verdict of repose.' But France
Is not contented. least Of all Is the
french working class contented. I'm
DER present circumstances there can
be no continued tranquility. Tho
storm center will be. as Il has been,
IN the c. G.. T.. and unless the new
chamber behaves as no one expects
1t to behave. Industrial action will
go on without paying any regard
to it."
France Crushes Red.
First France defeated tbe Caravans