Evening star., 1943-06-23
Where Stands France?

Where Stands France?
June % was double anniversary.
1t marked the full two years since
Germany began its surprise invasion
of Soviet Russia and also three years
since Frances formal capitulation
by the armistice signed at Com
piegne.
No two anniversaries could have
been much more unlike in character.
For Russia, despite terrific losses and
the continuance of its ordeal, the day
inspired pride in past achievements
and confidence in the ultimate out
come. But for Frenchmen every
where the date was one of unmiti-
gated sadness and humiliation. In
deed, the full tragedy of this armis-
tice anniversary lies, not in the
debacle of 1910, but in the persist
ence of the political and spiritual
riffs within the nation which did so
much to bring about the disaster of
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likewise fallen militarily before the
Axis juggernaut, yet defeat and oc-
cupation have cemented national
unity. But among FrenChmen, these
sad experiences seem to have in
famed old wounds and dealt new
ones, none of which shows signs of
immediate healing. This very ami
verSary witnessed an aggravation of
the chronic crisis in Algiers between
the rival factions headed by Cen
erals de Gaulle and Giraud That
crisis is no mere quarrel between
two temperamental personalities.
Giraud and De Gaulle personify
bitter struggle for power between
two widespread factions, each seek
ing to impose its aims and to shape
the future course of national evolu-
ton. Their prolonged chickering's
have revealed such deep-going an
tagonisms that it is hard to believe
a superficial compromise, perhaps
imposed by America and Britain, can
result in genuine reconciliation. Our
newsmen in North Africa report that
there has been no real fraternizing
between De Gaullist and Giraudist
troops, who look askance at each
other and might have come to blows
on more than one occasion if they
had not been restrained by the
American occupational authorities.
That does not augur we'll for the
effectiveness of French forces in the
Allied campaign against the Axis.
Meanwhile, the national psychol-
ogy in France itself is obscure, Yet
it is only logical to assume that the
factional differences shown by
FrenChmen in North Africa and
other parts Of the French Empire are,
to some extent, a reflection Of di-
visions in the homeland itself We
know that a Vichy regime still ex-
lists, no matter how drastically its
following has been reduced by popu-
Lara disillusionment with Marshal
Petain and disgust at Laval. Beyond
this small "collaborationist" minor
ity, irreparably compromised with
the Axis, the great majority of the
French people are strongly opposed
to their conquerors and would well
come an Allied invasion. Yet there
is good reason to believe that behind
this essentially negative bond of
union old political and theological
differences persist and would posi-
lively assert themselves once the
Axis occupation was eliminated. The
emergence of strong, united France
from the ordeal of the war thus cam
not be presumed, but must be con-
sidered problematical.
All this has an important bearing
on both the coming phases of the
war and the postwar period. Only a
genuinely regenerated France can
play major part in the larger recon-
struction which should follow the
defeat of the Axis. A weak, divided
France inevitably will be relegated
to minor role, which would be
lamentable from every point of view.