Evening star., 1935-08-11


Underwood and Wide World Photos.
bolshevism has been raised and the
Croix de Feu, FaScists, Right Repub-
licanS and RoyalistS are fraternizing
Andre Tardieu, a logical political
leader of the Right, is keeping dis
creetly in the background, having re-
fused to serve with Herriot in the
Laval cabinet. Ex-Premier Euenne
Flandin, Smarting under his ignomi-
Gus defeat, and the Militarists and
Royalist leaders are watching with
concern the rising tide of the Left
Wingers.
Financed by the Comite des FORCES
which bets on all likely horses in
any race-the Croix de Feu has be-
come formidable force. Col. Count
Casimir de la ROGUE, despite deser-
tions in his ranks, still manages to
conceal his real objectiveS. In the
provinces the Croix de Feu organizers
are especially active: womens units
are being formed and the malcontents
of all parties and factions are being
absorbed. One danger Col. de la
ROGUE faces, however, is an un-
wieldy organization. A goodly num-
Der of his adherents recently rebelled
because his program was not revolu-
tionary enough, in a social sense.
Hitler was confronted with the same
dilemma in dealing with Roehm,
Strasser and others, and had to exc
cute some of his closest friends be-
fore he could re-establish his control
over the National-Socialist movement.
For the time being the Croix de Feu
dares not test its strength. Its lead
ers-and nobody knows who really is
behind Col. de la RocQue-are stand
ing on the fence. When the psyche
logical time comes the Croix de Feu
may march into the breach with ma
chine guns, particularly if the fight
between the Right and Left is close
If the drift Is Overwhelmingly to-
ward the Left Col de la Rocoue NAV
hesitate before drenching France with
blood. If the decision is close his
organization-said to number several
millions-will be thrown to the sup
port of the Right. at a price which
Will mean practical control of the
government.
Three Armed Forces.
The dangerous element in the situa.
tlon is that France literally has three
armed forces. The Croix de Feu is
well financed and known to be euuip-
ped for a coup-de-force. One of the
conditions imposed by the Chamber
of Deputies upon Premier Laval, when
it agreed to a three-month vacation
and gave him power to govern by
decree (the DEGREES are to be placed
before the chamber for approval or re.
lection in October) was that the quasi
mllitariSt Fascist organization would
be dlSarmed. The Common Front, eS-
pecially the Communists, also is well
equipped for street fighting and the
Red Belt" around Paris is constant
nightmare for the police. The thirc
armed group is the government which
has the Garde Republican, and Garde
Mobile, the police and, in a pinch, the
army. 1t is, however, an unwritten
law that the army is never to be
brought into political strife.
The loyalty of the troops. in case OF
public rioting, is questionable. During
the February 9th affair some generals
warned against calling out the troops
saying that they could not be expected
to fire upon the citizenry. The new
recruits. called to the colors for mill
tary training, are politically minded
and few of them have any sympathy
for the Croix de Feu or Royalists.
The financial situation in France is
easier to appraise. The budget for
the current year has been estimated
at 56,000,000, 1000 francs (nearly $4,-
900 0,000, ,000) and the actual deficit is
unoficially placed at 21,000,00O, 600
francs. That is said to be IS per cent
more than the total administrative ex-
penditures of the government. Pre-
mier Laval, by an all-aFound cut in
salaries, interest on bonds, admins
trative costs, pensions, railway opera
tion, ETC., hopes to save something
like 10000. .000, 900 francs by economies
and tax increases. The government
estimates the official budgetry deficit
at 1900, 100000 francs, so theoretic-
ally there should be an almost bal
anced budget. But treasury gerry
Wandering is fooling no one. When
Laval, shortly after assuming the pre-
miership, proposed to submit to the
chamber a 5000, ,000, ,000-franc saving
by administrative economies the So
cialists promptly revealed that an even
larger sum was planned to be author
lied for supplementary military de-
fense purposes.
There is an unverified report
which the government has sought to
discredit-that pension costs IN
France have increased by five times
since 1922. The situation is some
what similar to the bonus question"
CONTINUED on ASeventh Page.)