Evening star., 1933-10-15
No Fascist Rule for France



who started in political life as a full
fledged Socialist. There Is one element
of truth to be detected in that belief
were dictator to assert himself in
France, he would be more likely to
originate among the parties of the left
the radicals and socialists, than among
those Of the right. After all, Napoleon
Bonaparte, as poor officer, was a
friend Of the 1893 terrorists; and in
l885-'86 Gen. Boulanger posed as an
enemy Of the conservatism Of the Pc
riod and his appointment to the min
istry Of war was forced upon a very
distrustful President of the republic by
Clemenceau. who, at that time, was a
radical Of the extreme wing. Only Ma
poleon, Sd. was the favorite Of the con-
servative groups and, as such, won his
way to the highest seat Of power be-
revolution had frightened every prop
erty owner. big or small. from one end
Of the country to the other into the
acceptance Of "Bonapartism."
Second to Leaders.
As to the rest. the facts are as fol-
lows: The UNIFIED Socialists" party,
CT the French section Of the Work.
mems International" as 1t styles itself,
has been an organized and active force
since the beginning Of the century. AS
regards numerical strength, it Is second
in the Chamber Of Deputies only to the
Radical-Socialist group, which fills the
cabinet and which for more than 80
years, with the exception Of the inter-
vals Of reaction brought about by the
war, has been the dominant force in
French politics.
It can be easily understood that the
Socialists would not have extended or
strengthened their hold upon 80 many
constituencies had they stuck all the
while to the Marxist doctrine in all its
rig1dity. As . matter Of fact, the In
ternatioual Socialists speak with DIFF
ferent voices when they-address the
crowd and when they make pro-
In Parliament. When
they are touring in the provinces they
behave as the defenders Of the lower
middle classes and Of the lower grade
Of public ofdcials. In that respect they
don't differ very materially from the
Radical Socialists. In practice they
applied to people with an income Of, let
us say, more than 10000 francs. but
that beneath that level the sacred
rights Of property ought not to be in
terfered with. In the Chamber OF
Deputies, however. their attitude is in
closer conformity with the Communist
ideal. For instance. they prove untract-
able on all questions of national de-
fense and, until this year when they
gave way to NJ. Daladier's patriotic
exhortations, they sternIy refused to
vote the budget: On those terms, they
cannot be included in any cabinet. The
most they can do to support a Radical
Socialist government against the on
slaught Of the Conservative center and
Of the right, Is to vote for 1t with the
reservation that they remain free to
withdraw their support at any moment.
Compromise Would Follow.
minds in the party are hardly pleased
would be inclined to do as the labor
leaders did in England, they would
enter into compromises which before
long would surely make the cleverest
in their number cabinet ministers.
OF late years most OF the big towns
in France have elected Socialist mayors
who conduct municipal business in the
same way as their capitalist predeces-
sors. Why should the party obStinately
resist, in the wider circles of national
affairs, an evolution to which 1t COM
placently lends itself in the municipal
sphere? Hence there has arisen
clamor that socialism Is counting suicide
by shutting itself up in the old shell for
an indefinite period and that. as be-
ginning, 1t ought to make the military
development Of Germany, Italy, Russia,
etc, and the danger which this entails
for the outstanding democratic govern
ments. an excuse for revising its atti-
tude toward national defense.
Never forget that under the third
republic. France has been ruled by the
ideas Of the center and sometimes Of
the right-but through the men Of the
left and OF the extreme left who slowly
become converts to them. It is a very
old and a very natural trend, which
means that the lower middle classes
(ncludtng the peasants) consistently
insist upon being ruled by governments
Of the same social strata as themselves
and do not really care about great
changes.
Reform Overdue.
On the whole I don't believe that in
France wide career can open itself to
the Fascist idea and to the Fascist
means of government. But this does
not imply that the present parlia-
with the external peril. will not en-
deavor to work out a regime of greater
authority on the lines Of the Clemen-
ceau and Poincare cabinets Of former
days However, should such change
occur-and M. Daladier, the present
prime minister. in his heart strives for
tit will have to be made acceptable
to the smaller middle classes and to the
peasants, the political backbone Of the
country, who, for more than half a
century. have welded predominance in
Parliament. 1t will be q very hard job,
since the host of small oficials-about
l 900 900 individuals In the aggregate
who have helped themselves to excessive
salaries etc. will most stubbornly fight
the financial reform that is overdue
and. anyhow. will have to be taken In
hand, whatever cabinet happens to
exist. A majority Of the teachers In the
elementary schools have turned CON
scientious objectors" or openly sympa-
thize with them-which. incidentally.
emphasizes how far away the average
French mind still is from Fascist con-
ccptions. In way. it can be asserted
that the only possibility that France
WILL ever LuIA1 rdSCAot uco III ucI dDiAOi.
renee for the Fascist doctrine in the
indivi6ualism Of her citizens.
since no country In the world can really
afford the luxury of living in such an
manner while the strictest
collective discipline is being enforced
all around in the neighboring nations.
On that account a reaction may come.
But. unless a new war. with its at
tendant threat to the very existence Of
civilization. should destroy all the