Evening star., 1934-11-14
CIVIL WAR THREAT
FACEDBY FRANCE
RoyaQsts Gain Strength as
fractional Strife Grows
Bitter.
BY RANDOLPH LEIGH.


last wear. now threatens France.
1t is hard for Americans who have
not been in the midst Of the bitter
partisanship of the Europe OF today
to realize the depths OF cleavage be-
tween factions in each OF the leading
continental powers. So far has this
bitterness gone that it might be said
that in Europe international jealousy
may yet be pushed into the back
ground by class hatred.
Russia, Italy, Germany, Austria,
Hungary and most Of the Balkan
powers have been the scenes OF civil
warfare on a scale unknown since the
fanatical contests of the Reforma-
tion. France alone among the lead
ing powers has preserved the appear
ance of unity in an era of disintegra-
ton and has held fast to republican
government in an environment OF die
tatorships.
Royalists Gain Strength.
But, unfortunately, it Is an appear
ance which imposes not at all on any
observer conversant with conditions
within France For at least three
years the spirit of faction has been
growing steadily stronger there. The
oft-repeated cries Down with the
Deputies, means, of course, down with
the republic, for the French Legisla-
ture and the French republic are
practically the same thing.
Royalists, discredited everywhere
else in continental Europe, gain
strength daily in France, where roy
alism few decades ago was regarded
as lost cause. Last Autumn In town
after town in Brittany saw royalist
demonstrations in which thousands
of zealots took part-demonstration
which would have been sternly dealt
with in England or the United States,
where respect for the government as
the expression of the national will Is
regarded as fundamental.
In English-speaking countries we
are accustomed to the idea OF letting
the soap-box serve as a safety valve.
But what is taking place in France
is not a soap-box commotion at all,
but something running up to the very
verge of revolution.
Depend On the Military.
This explains the seemingly strange
fact that Premier Flandin, before even
attempting to form cabinet, went
tamely to the spokesman for the army
and the leader of the veterans to
assure himself Of their cooperation.
In other words, the head of the
French government feels the need of
the immediate and unequivocal sup
port Of the military.
One can hardly imagine the PreSi-
dent of the United States seeking the
cooperation of the chief of staff and
the American Legion before daring
to assert his executive authority. Yet
that is the nearest possible parallel
to what took place in Paris this week.
For weeks now the pretender to the
French throne has been proclalmlng
cat a distance to be sure) that there
is widespread diSaffection within the
army, and asserting that hundreds OF
high officers and thousands OF men
are ready to hail the restoration.
This anti-republican movement has
been gaining adherents. Naturally
1t has not gone unchallenged. The
resistance to the royalistS has come,
however, from factionalists Of the
other extreme, rather than from the
government, which for more than two
years in France has been unwilling
to assert itself vigorously against any
portion of its tumultuous population.
Dictatorship Seems Possible.
To add to the confusion, the royal
lists and Socialists, baSically antipodal,
have been making common cause
against the existing system. This has
placed the friends of the republic in
the unfortunate position of having to
allow their governmental system to
be undermined by hoodlumS, or to be
made a mockery by dictatorship set
UP by the republicans themselves.
1t is not improbable that Dictator
ship backed by genuine republicans
will be set up Gin name or in fact)
to deal with the now rampant spirit
of faction. Oddly enough, this fac
tionalism has it's roots in no philo-
sophical concepts. The arguments Of
the various royalist publications
within France (openly and widely
circulated) show very little logic or
idealism on the subject of a restora-
ton. Likewise, the Socialists are
spinning few cobwebs of theory.
The clamor is for food and money
and jobs, and the crisis in France is
economic and fiscal.
France has cornered the gold supply
Of Europe and has played fiscal shell
game which has been the wonder and
delight of all the budgetary jugglers
of recent times. But France is shaken
to the depts and full of the sound and
fury of approaching strife.
Had it not been for the menace OF
Hitler it is probable that France ere
now would have been going through
q purging of the nation by its strong
est faction, just as Germany and Italy
and the others have been purged.
Republicans Lack Cohesion.
But what is the strongest" French
faction? Numerically and theoretical
Nv, the middle course republicans, the
peasant and small-shop element of
which Frenchmen speak so pridefully
But the republicans have no factional
cohesion, no program, no secret army.
Theoretically, their government rep
resents these things and is their rally
ing point. Actually, if one desperate
. lunge against the government should
meet with success the Royalists and
Socialists would have Cir. their respec-
tive spheres) better chances for gain
ing supremacy than would loyal citi-
Eens.
But France has an army-the best