Evening star., 1938-12-04
Frances Political Cliques Fight
Upon Brink of Dictatorship
Major Battle of Rightists and Leftists RACES
Around Formers Demand for
Strong Government
Bv Charles S. FoIfs, Jr.
Correspondence of the Associated Press)

PAR1s.-Will France join the dictator
ships?
That question is at the bottom of the
internal turmoil which now divides this
liberty LOVING nation
1t Is an underlying cause Of the sit
down strikes which threw industrial
plants in Northern France and in the
Paris region into idleness in the hands
Of 100000 workers.
1t is a basic reason for the 24-hour
general strike called by the powerful
Confederation Of Labor in protest against
Premier Edouard Daladiers executive de-
crees suspending the 4O-hour week and
raising taxes.
1t is the reason why Socialists and
some of the -Socialists-member
Of Daladier's own party-have started a
movement to demand the Premier's res
ignation.
Fear Swing to the Right.
The Leftist objections to date have
been raised not so much against the de-
cree power but against what the Premier
has done with that power. They fear
he will swing further to the Right, and
establish system in which only Rightists
would succeed him. And organized
Rightists are in favor of full Dictator
ship.
Only strong government, they argue,
can do what must be done to put France
back on its feet financially. economically
and internationally as a world power.
The 30-year-old Count Of Paris, heir
to the non-existent throne of France,
who defed republican law by flying from
exile IN Belgium to read manifesto on
French soil, echoed the sentiment Of
many a non-royahst Rightist when he
said the other day:
The nation seems condemned to pro-
gressive paralysis born from efforts made
sterile by the clash of political parties"
Politics, say Frenchmen who want
Or would tolerate-a dictatorship, have
made 1t impossible to have the strong
government that France needs
Big Debt Growing.
Frances public debt is we'll over half
trillion francs-more than two years
of its national income and about 10 times
the governments annual income.
Furthermore. it's growing. This years
budget deficit has been estimated at Co.
100000 francs. Next years deficit may be
bigger. The governments borrowing ca
pacity has been dangerously low at home
and abroad for several years.
Many governments have tried to cut
down expenditure in recent years, but
the results have been puny compared
to the mounting costs of keeping France
in the armaments race.
Only dictator, argue extreme Right
lists, can solve that problem by cutting
the Gordian knot. Some advocate cap
ital law, some moratorium on the pub
lie debt, some other drastic measures.
The extremists say that no govern
ment, dependent for it's life upon the
votes of 6l8 Deputies and 314 Senators
OF nearly 40 constantly shifting political
groups, can possibly be strong enough
to take such drastic steps.
In the last few years. when one of the
crying needs in France was to increase
her production. no government was
strong enough to halt strike movements
The extreme Rightists say this must be
done if Frances economy is to be rebuilt
properly.
Brought on Shame Of Munich.
Many Frenchmen from various po-
litical groups have become convinced
that the four-power Munich agreement
September % was capitulation forced
by military unpreparedness.
Frances main weakness, 1t is gener-
ally agreed, is in the air. where the
average fighting or bombing planes OF
Germany and Italy can fly rings around
Frances sky squadrons.
There again extremists place the
blame on Frances democratic govern
ment. whici: they say hasn't the power
to force workers and employers to speed
up production.
The third republic is SO we'll bulwarked
with both legal and material defenses 1t
is generally agreed that a dictatorship
could be set up only by force of arms.
Recently Frenchmen found out how a
would-be dictator and his followers would
60 about it if they ever decided to try.
An organization known to some as the
Secret Committee for Revolutionary Ac-
ton was discovered to have stored large
supplies of modern arms, including scores
of machine guns, hundreds of rifles and
an imposing list of ammunition, hand
grenades and other equipment.
1t was carefully organized by cell units.
commanded by trained men, and cell
members had at least a general idea of
how they were going to go about revolt