Evening star., 1932-04-27
The French Elections.


without parable. Before it is over, three
great nations, in the order named, will
have determined their political COM
plexion for the immediate future-Gsy. !.
many, France and the United States.
The Germans are just mending broken
heads after a series cf the most hectic
contests in their whole history. The
United States will not be In the thick
Of its electoral battle for several months
to come. France this week is winding
up campaign to choose a new Cham
ber CT Deputies TIE first balloting
takes place next Sunday, to be followed
week later by run-cff elections in
districts where the first poll did not
result in decisive choices.
M Andre Tardieu and his valiant
Nationalists are wasing a fight for con-
tinued power. Aided by NJ Pierre
Laval. whom the present premier sue
ceeded in February. M. Tardieu seeks
to remain at the head of strong, mill
tant government whose chief concern
shall be the security Of France. That
is an issue which always, and legiti-
mately, makes a lively appeal to the
French imagination, bulwarked, as it is,
by the country's painful memory of for
eign invasion twice during the past
sixty years.
M. Tardieu is preaching the doctrine
of security not only to the voters of
France, but before the world in confer
ence at Geneva. He is to confer there
Friday with Secretary Stimson, Prime
Minister Macdonald, Chancellor Bruen-
ing and Foreign Minister Grandi in
supreme effort to defend the French
thesis of security before disarmament"
No French statesman risks disfavor in
asking the republic to stand like Gibral-
tar in defense of that principle. He is
on especially safe ground in espousing
1t within the immediate shadow of
Hitler's menacing victories in the Ger
man state elections.
But the Nationalist opponents, led
by M. Edouard Herriot, former premier
and head of the powerful Radical So
cialists, are not letting M. Tardieu
sweep the country on vote-catching
patriotic issues. They are charging the
present government with responsibility
for Frances mounting economic woes-a
counterpart Of the basic campaign which
the Democrats are preparing to launch
against the Hoover administration.
French industry is suffering because
capital lacks confidence in the Tardieu
regime, M. Herriot is laundering from
the hustings. During the past year, he
claims, there have been eleven thou
sand business failures. Unemployment
is rising. Frances supposed invul-
nerability to worldwide depression turns
out to be mythical. She is getting her
full and her increasing portion. For all
these conditions Herriot accords the
Tardieu government the lions share of
the blame.
The premier's pending proposal to
internationalize offensive arms under
the League Of Nations-the plan for
which M. Tardieu Is at this moment
crusading at Geneva-is described by
NJ Herriot as an invention of the late
Aristide BRAND and Of Senator Joseph
Paul-Boncour. 1t is, therefore, M. Her
riot declares, nothing for which the
Nationalist premier may take credit.
France Is electing 615 deputies. There
are 3.240 candidates in the field. Under
the parliamentary system a government
requires at all times to marshal ma
jority in the Chamber of Deputies in
order to sustain itself in Office Either
a perpetuated Tardieu cabinet or an
other Herriot ministry is imminent.