The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-15
BY MICHEL HOLLAY.

PARIS, (By Mail)-For several
weeks past Frances home politics
have been subjected to violent
oscillations. In the second half
of 1926 the fall of the franc
caused the rupture of the Left Bloc.
When their leaders, Herriot and Pain
leve entered Poincare's Ministry of
National Unity" the Radical So
cialists veered to the Right. At the
Congress of Lyons the Socialist
Party also directed its policy to the
pillar of bourgeois society. And while
Poincare, the saviour of the franc,
overwhelmed the French people with
new taxes amounting to thousands of
millions, Painleve, the Radical Minis
ter of War submitted his imperialis-
tic project of ornaments, Herrot, the
Freemason and Radical Minister of
Instruction, fraternised with the bis
hops, and the Socialists unanimously
voted for the mobilization law of the
Socialist" Paul Boncour.
The national unity of all constitu-
tional forces" had become a fact. It
was to be strengthened against Com
munism in France as the first and
essential step towards opposing the
Soviet Union. Barthou, Minister of
Justice, initiated an deliberately
worked-out case of espionage against
the revolutionary workers, which,
however, rested on far too weak
basis. Sarraut, Minister of the In
terror, with the blood of Gallifet in
his veins, started furious persecu-
ton of the Communists. The entire
press, from the Royalist faction
Franchise" to the Socialist" "Popu-
laire," is set on attacking Communism
and the Soviet Union.
Only one factor was neglected in
preparing this wholesale reactionary
plan, but it was the most important
factor, the French working class.
Poincare's cruelty oppressive finan-
cial schedule, the warlike mobiliza-
ton and military armament plans of
the Socialist Paul Boncour and the
Radical War Minister Painleve, the
simultaneous offensive Of the capt.
talists against the workers wages,
the rise in the cost of living, and the
war-agitation against the Soviet
Union now threaten to ruin the stabil-
ization programme of the bourgeoisie.
The supplementary elections, a
true barometer of home politics, point
to Red" In the almost exclusively
rural department Of Aube, the, slogan
which was supported by one and all,
from the Fascist Lafont to the So
cialist Renaudel, was as follows: "All
against one! All patriots, good Re-
publicans, against the Communists,
those traitors and enemies of civili-
zation" The Communist candidate
was not elected But the result in it.
self amounts to great victory of the
Communists in their fight against
economic and political reaction, in
their struggle for peace. The 5000
Communist voters of 1926 increased
in the first election campaign to 49,
800. In the second campaign, the
Communist candidate united $4,000
votes. The National Bloc" won by
majority of only 5000 votes. That
cannot be called victory. The re-
action is well aware of the fact. for
the outcry against the Communist
danger has become all the louder and
eliminates in the demand for the
British panacea." the rupture of
diplomatic relations with the Soviet
Union.
On the same Sunday two further
elections also took place. At Jory,
a suburb Of Paris, the Communist
mayor had been removed from his
office. For the sake Of ensuring an
election on a broader basis, two other
Communist town-couacillor likewise
demissioued. The candidate put ND
was the sailor Dumoulin at one time
condemned to four years arrest fo.
anti-militarist propaganda on board
the warship "Courbet" during the
Moroccan war. The outcome Of the
election was splendid victory for
the Communists and for the amnesty.
OF 1888 registered votes, 4358 fell to-
the share Of the Communist list. In
comparison with the elections of
1925, the Communists gained 700
votes, while the National Bloc lost
1000 and the Left Bloc 200.