The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-12-01

A"e "--AN measure OF democracy IN france lOr
Edouard Daadier at least while longer. That Dalader
does not plan to fasten Fascsm France is evidenced
by his democratic aggressveness in the Mchen tire plant
enisode The Michelin management locked out its
poyes; whereupon Daladier practically absorbed the
Mchen and sent the employees back to their jobs
Evidently he is leaning neither to the Right nor to the
Left but is trying to keep democratic processes alive IN
France.
The general strike is one thing which democracy
not tolerate if it is to 60 on being democracy.
The French labor leaders, of them Communists
and all of them using Communist technic,
Communist tried to organize their followers into
DL11: rebellion against law If they had won,
A'0O0''O they would now be in fact the Govern
ment of France with Daladier only figurehead if still
alive.
Fights among the various labor leaders would follow in
short order with one them presently coming out top
inst as Stain did in Russia after Lenin died. The result
would be dictatorship alegedy of the proeariat Thus,
France would have quit the thinning ranks of the democ
races and lined up with the totaitarian states By the
way imagine general strike in Russia.)
France for the time being at least has turned dan
gerous corner which many democracy in times past
has failed to turn.
The Athenian democracy, by
1he wrecks the wisest men that ever lived to hear
ne T; historians tell it, cracked up on the
W ~ rocks of internal dissension, and the
tyrants moved in and took The Roman Republic
was succeeded by the empire
In recent years we've witnessed the smashup of tays
semi-constutonal monarchy into tyrant state and the
taking over of once sem-democratc Germany by Adolf
Hitler and his Brownshirs Even Czaris Russia toward
its end with it's Duma made up of representatives of the
people had larger measure of democracy than exists
in Soviet Russia
Frances democracy has some serious flaws in it. We
don't know nfalbly what they are but something must
be wrong in country which has had 104 cabinets (gov
- ernments) in sxty-seven years.
DeHtOCTuCY MNSL Maybe the French, who have
unro Cfuh;7;f,, always had soft spot in their
hearts for gold braid and
ony need system under which isn't possible to over
throw the government simply by getting up overnight
caba in Parliament and refusing vote of confidence.
That works all right in England united under permanent
king; but maybe France needs system like ours under
which put office for two, four six years,
and can't get him out before his term ends unless we
impeach him.
Anyway it's gratifying to know that France is going
to be on the side of US democraces for while longer
There aren't too many of left-Great Britain, the
Scandinavian countries Holland and Belgium, with their
purely symbolic sovereigns kngess France Switzerland
and United States
And the dictatorship philosophy is moving in
manning democracies. Hitler announces probably
to somebody that he has added 100000 to his
standing army making total of 100000. Japan
ports through the German newspapers-a sign of soil
darty, suppose-that it is building two As 000-ton
batteshps which will be the worlds largest
So we're glad to have France still democracy; glad
to Daader crush the proposition that any govern
ment is obligated to stand by and let any faction cripple
essential services and bring chaos on any pretext
whatever
tFrom the New York Daily News