Evening star., 1936-06-07
FRANCE In CONFUSION
AS BLUM TAKES OFFICE
Flight of Capital, Social Disturbances,
Anti.Semitie Sentiment
Among Problems.

financial. He is confronted with q
still more serious social problem. The
majority Of the labor element in
France has communistic tendencies,
particularly the workers in the indus
trial centers in and near Paris. These
people now prefer the tune Of the
International" to that of the Mar
seillaiSe.' The latter, they say, has
become the hymn of the militarist-
neutrality-suspicious. class. Before
Monsieur Blum took the oath of Office
the workers in the all-important am
munition and airplane factories in the
suburbs Of Paris declared strike and
took temporary possession of the
workshops. The usual violence which
accompanies strikes in France was
lacking; the workers knew that the
temporary Sarraut government would
not resort to drastic measures and
their wishes would be fulfilled with
out trouble by their" government,
the Communist Blum administration.
And they were not mistaken. The
owners of the factories yielded grace
fully-they were brought into submis-
sion by the fear that much worse
things might happen when Blum and
his colleagues actually came into Of
fee.
Flight of capital, social disturbances
and the possibility of an anti-Semitic
movement such as France never before
has witnessed are the three problems
which confront the Blum cabinet in
the immediate future.
In the background looms the ever
threatening problem of international
relations.
Monsieur Blum's pet aversions in
the diplomatic field are, in order of
precedence, Mussolini and Hitler.
His hatred against Mussolini is not
due to the fact that II Duce is
dictator. But Mussolini has ruthlessly
suppressed the Masons in Italy, and
this the French Leftists will not for
get. European Masonry is entirely
different from the American brand;
it is purely secret political organiza-
ton. One of II Duce's first acts when
he came to power was to outlaw ItaI-
ian Freemasonry because of its social
istic tendencies. Hence Blums de-
termination TO abandon the efforts of
his predecessors for closer collabora-
ton with Italy.
Despite the treatment of the Jews
by Hitler, the new French govern
ment is less opposd to an eventual un-
|, derstanding with the Reich. Blum
| and his followers are convinced paci-
fists. Germany's eXpansionist aim
does not worry the Peoples Front as
much as it worried the previous ad-
ministrations.
Clash of Dictators.
They see an eventual clash between
the Italian and German dictators in
the event of German penetration
of the Danubisn Valley, and an in
evitable defeat of the Reich in case
it decides to attack the Soviets. Blum
agrees with the British leaders that
Germany has no desire to fight France
and is willing to let bygones be by
cones regarding the military clauses
of the treaty of Versailles.
The French premier and his diplo-
matte advisers, men like Paul-Bon-
| cour and Herriot, have implicit faith
/ in the idea of collective security
/ through the League of Nations and
believe that the Geneva organization
still can be made into an active in
strument for the preservation of world
\ Docf foil
by these men to lack of sincerity on
the part of the previous French lead
| ers, Laval and even the late Aristide
BRAND, who always placed French
/ national interests above those of the
world.
In recent conversation with
prominent American, Leon Blum en-
pressed sympathy with the reasons
why the United States is so obdurately
opposed to joining the League. He said
that President Wilson's ideals had been
shattered by men like Clemenceau and
Poincare. who, with the assistance of
the British and the nations of the
Little Entente, converted the League
into an instrument for the preservation
OF war SpoilS. But, he added, a League
Of Nations which fulfillS the ideas of
President Wilson, a League of Nations
which has as its sole object the pres
ervation of international justice, can
not fail to appeal to the American
people-today probably more than in
the past.
And for this reason he is deter
mined, if he retains power long enough,
to do all he can to make the League
a machine that will give the world real
security. The League, Blum says, must
cease to be an instrument for the safe
guarding of the specific interests of
one or several groups of powers.
Blum sees in the United States
financial and political cooperation
with Europe the salvation of France
and Europe in these difficult moments.
And in this his ideas are in agreement
with those of the British government.
(Copyright. 1850