The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-28

history of the Third Republic,
FIR the first time In any capital
istic country the French govern
ment operated with the full sup
port Of communists. Maintaining
their election pledge, u communist
deputies supported a minimum
program" of reform In a dozen
fields acceptable to themselves, to
the socialists and the radicals. No
time was lost putting this program
into effect.
From the moment Leon Blum'S
government was swept into power
in June until the end of the year
a startled parliament, used to cas-
Ter ways, put through more legis-
lation than In any previous session
since the war, not excluding the
1926 imitation. Some of the changes
brought about were revolutionary.
All Of them were bold.
LabOr's Power at Peak
The end of the year found labor
in possession of the biggest con-
cessions 1t had ever won in France.
The franc had been devaluated,
the deflationary measures of pre-
vious governments rescinded and a
policy Of spending begun.
The Bank Of France had been
transformed from the stronghold
of big interests into a truly ma
tional bank. which the government
could control.
The legal road had been cleared
for the naturalization of the arms
industry. with preliminary steps
taken.
The Fascist-like leagues OF the
right were outlawed.
The VIGOROUSLY free and easy
French press was harnessed more
tightly than ever before.
These things did not cccur with
out trouble. The Popular Front
election victory In May was the
signal for French labor, without
waiting for legislation, to demand
more money, a 40-hour week and
paid vacations in almost every
branch of industry and business.
Thus, when Blum formed his gov
erument the following month he
faced the biggest, most revolution
arg strike wave France had ever
sean, More than a million and a
half workers were on strike at one
time-and what is perhaps more
important, plants, shops and mines
were occupied by the workers.
Trade UniOnism Grows
This direct challenge TO the
.;.st.k 1f r1rnrNnrfU Mhinh
was shock to business and indus
try, continued in several further
waves until the end of the year,
despite its official condemnation
by the government. The Confed-
Grafton Generate du Travail, trade
union federation, saw its member
ship swell from some 100000 to
nearly 100000 as direct result
OF the strikes, and 1t became one
of the most powerful factors In
the Popular Front.
AS the year closed the threat of
further labor conflicts remained the
governments most difficult internal
problem. On this issue the tradi-
tionally conservative French SEN
ate once threatened to overthrow
Blum and it may yet carry out
that threat. The radicals in their
congress in October agreed to con-
tinue participating in the govern
ment but went IN record against
occupation of factories.
Arbitration Used Widely
On the other hand, the govern
ment depends directly on the COM
munists, and the latter insist they
will tolerate no direct action against
thew orkers, no matter what the
circumstances. To date the gov
ernments pledge to permit no fac
tories to be occupied has had little
practical application. On rare oc-
casions factory has been forcibly
cleared, with much reluctance, by
the government. The procedure
generally Is to arbitratc, and 1t US
ually works.
The left election landslide and
the methodical carrying out of the
Popular Front program which fol-
lowed it served TO crystalline the
bitter struggle between right and
left which already had exploded
into disorders several times before.
Blum's government met with no
really serious trouble II. the streets,
but its enemies, driven more or
less underground as far as direct
action was concerned by legislation
against fascist leagues, have by no
means morally disarmed.
Fascist Groups Alive
Indeed, the socialists and COM
munists charge repeatedly that they
have not physically disarmed either,
and that such groups as the Croix
de Eau, the Solidarite Franchise.
and Jacques Doroit's more or less
frankly fascist party are preparing
for civil war.
What effects the events in Spain
will have on the internal situa-
ton in France cannot yet be fore
seen, but it is a fact that right
and left here have been SO boldly
partisan that reports of the civil
war in their press often looked like
the reports Of 'ombatants them
selves.
In the foreign field France Jared
badly in 1896. 1t saw Germany
tear UP the last important clause
of the Versailles treaty and move