Evening star., 1935-08-09

tinues his drastic operation with a
coolness seldom seen in a French
politician.
The root of the trouble lies in the
determination of French governments
since 1929 to keep the franc to its
high gold parity
This resulted in the wholesale prices
in France being IS per cent above
those of the rest of the world. while
retail prices we're 25 per cent above
the general level Exports vanished,
the tourist trade-an important asset
to France-reached a vanishing point
and year after year the government
failed to balance It's budget.
Naturally, the principal cause of
the difficult budgetary situation must
be laid to the heavy armament ex-
penditure and the diminution of the
national income.
This year, the Banque de France
which was upholding the franc,
baked. IN face of this continual
deficit, the governors of that orthodox
institution informed NJ Laval that it
would lend no more money to the
treasury unless deflation were under
taken in grim earnest. And Laval set
10 work, having obtained from scared
Parliament larger powers than Presi-
dent Roosevelt ever dreamed of asking
from Congress
X X X
Laval governs France now by de
crets lois governmental orders which
have the power of laws). He has cut
salaries and pensions, increased taxa
ton, decreased rents and food prices,
tagonize all these classes which he
thought would benefit by these execu-
tive orders. The rich as well as the
poor are up in arms. He has touched
the sensitive point of the Frenchmen
their purse. The rich are kicking
because their income is diminishing
and their taxes are increasing. The
working classes are baking because
salaries and wages have been reduced; ;
the farmers are discontented because
they have to sell their produce at
government-fixed prices. Laval has
received from the Chamber until next
October a doctors mandate" to cut
right and left as he deems fit. But
the operation meets with a strenuous
resistance and lack of cooperation
from the patient
X X X X
Some observers, recently returned
from France, say that Fascist coup
is not impossible in the course of
this year.
The French FdScists are not
backed by public opinion. They
can 1Uin no electoral victories. They
lack magnetic leader, for Col.
de la ROGUE, their chief, is q poor
orator, ,0ith no gift for nesmer,sino
the masses.
Their strength lies in their military
organization. De la ROGUE has un-
der his orders between 100000 AID
100000 youngsters. well disciplined
and well trained. provided with abun-
dant motor transport. His spectac-
ular nosturnal demonstrations, when
he throws thousands Of his followers
les Croix de Feu-aboard trucks into
some quiet provincial town, produce
quite psychological effect.
y y X n
De la Rocque has, furthermore, a
volunteer air force and at one of the
gatherings 73 of his planes few over
the crowds.
The French government is worried
about this force. If it has machine
guns-as it is whispered-sucha force
might carry out a march on Paris
provided the army stood neutrai, as
it happened in Italy l3 years ago.
y X Il
British unemployed and adventure
seekers are enlisting In Emperor Halle
Selassie's army. Many of the men
who volunteer for service in the Ethi-
opian army are formers officers who