The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-09-01
FRENCH LESSON

AAOIllIuNu - OAI abN OANf
kiss babies at the departmental
fairs and to lay corner.stones. The
only qualification was to wear a
silk hat well. Well. we had a
Harding; and at least LeBrun was
honest.
The cabinet ran the country and
the prime minister tried TO run the
cabinet. He picked II, The ma.
iority political party picked him.
When any OF the cabinet measures
or any vote of confidence failed,
then the entire cabinet resigned,
and was replaced with another
which could get a vote OF coma
dence. Imagine Nine. Perkins d.
lemma Id such a state OF affairs
1t sounds good. and | can imagine
that some Of you think this would
be a fine way to get rid OF lckes
or any other selected cabinet
minister, who in this country enlist
for the duration. But, 1t isn't that
simple.
In the first place there were in
France dozens OF political parties
instead OF our two. The differences
were about the same, practically
none. We have to null over our
choice between Mr.. Roosevelt who
will promise to do certain self
contradictory things. and Mr..
Willkie who will do the very same
things, but much better than Mr..
Roosevelt. Now France had to
choose between some 20 Tweedle-
dees and Tweedle-dums. The po-
litical parties ran the gamut from
left to right. Most OF the men,
bers sat in the center in the good
old days. The majority for years
Tor rather the plurality, for there
never was a majority, was in the
Radical Socialist Party. That
sounds bad, doesn't it? They were
about as radical and socialist as
Senator Taft.
Now the center OF gravity OF
these various shades OF political
opinion always lay somewhere near
the center. and shift OF cabinet
usually meant that some other
member OF the Radical Socialist
party became prime minister for I
while. 1t might move bit to the
left or a bit TO the right. but not
very far About as far as a fat
lady's scales when she tries to
diet. Moreover, the cabinet al
ways looked about the same. 1t
had the same ministers, with may
be one or two exceptions, who
would be back in for the third
quarter, and they simply passed
the portfolios around somewhat
like football team. the ball car
rier being the prime minister.
So no matter which way the cleo
tions went, it was pretty sure that
the same old wheel horses would
be in power, or near power, and
the French voter got very weary
and cynical about the farce. The
only real upset came with Blum
when the country finally decided
to smash the system, and was slow
ly torn apart between the Right.
lists and the Front Populaire. Then
the leftists got in. but they didn';
get far because they had to de-
pend on certain centrist votes
which fluctuated like our Farmer
Labor-Progressives of a few years
past. The country was torn apart
so far that Blum resigned in the
heat OF the quarrel rather than
provoke a civil war. He deserves
statue for being the first pollti-
clan to put country before party.
And all the politicians were play
ing the game for all they were
werth--It was a somber version OF
the child's game. King of the Gas.
tie, where the glee Of pulling some
one down was about equal to that
of getting to be prime minister
And nothing else mattered so much
as whether a certain man could
manage to stick for six months as
prime minister. Not only the poll
ticans, but the generals, and the
big business men played the game.
1t was France mach allies instead
OF uber allies.
Ihere were the extra-political
associations, the Croix de Ecu,
the Cagoulards, the Peasants I'm
ion. the Comite des FORCES, the
Camelots du Roi. the Communist
Youth, the Action Franchise, and
what have you, all audibly aspiring
to save France from herself, all
itching for fight and all immeas-
urably sure that they alone could
save France. Dies or Wheeler or
Townsend or Coughlin would under
stand.
Economically the country was on
the rocks. Previously mentioned
factors had brought about a huge
trade deficit and lack OF balance in
the budget. The Bank OF France
no longer dictated French fis-
cal policy. for Blum had smashed
that, but there were too many other
little dictators.
Ito be Continued Tuesday,