The Omaha guide., 1944-12-30
Washington
Liberal Ground Swell
Sweeping Over Europe
Underground CoaIesces Democratic Groups
In Fight for Popular Government;
Look to Big Three
By BAUKIIAGE
Neros analyst and Commentator

kIfAGE
d Commentator
liberation, who had such character
and personality that he is univer-
sally accepted, acclaimed and fol-
lowed by the entire nation as our
leading member Of the resistance"
The last seven words are the
important ones "as our leading
member of the resistance" In
other words, De Gaulle was able to
lead his fellow countrymen into
liberation without chaos because he
had the approval of the most ac-
tive and most militantly democrat
ic elements of the underground.
New Spirit
In Greece
P~apandreou, premier of Greece
during the revolt. with all his vir-
tues, was no De Gaulle in that re-
spect.
/ was reliably informed that
Papandreou had expressed firm
anti-monarchic sentiments, that he
is, as he says, a democrat and a
socialist, that he had a clean rec
ord through the occupation. But
and what a but" there is. judged
by such standards as l imagine
''Franc-Tireur" would hold up -
Papandreou was selected by the
King with British consent. The mo-
tives back Of his election may have
been honest enough and practical
enough from the standpoint Of the
old order. Here was a man with a
good record who, it would seem,
could reconcile the royalists and the
leftists. But that formula itself
violates the very principles of the
new order. and when the left-wing-
ers began to feel that the cabinet
was monarchist and British-made,
they withdrew and their followers
refused to give up their weapons.
All armed groups in Greece not
absorbed officially by the army
were ordered to turn in their arms.
The police, of course, did not turn
in their arms and they were the
same police who had helped the pre-
war Metaxas dictatorship. and later
the Germans, keep order" The
sacred battalion" a group COM
posed chiefly Of former Greek off,
GERS who fought bravely beside the
Allies all through the African cam
paign (and were charged with con-
tanning a strong monarchist ele-
ment) was not disbanded but
became a part Of the army.
Translate the above into terms of
the French attitude and see how
impossible acceptance of a Greek
government such as that could be
to groups thinking as the French
resistance groups think.
There is every reason to believe
that the leftist movement in Greece
and elsewhere in Europe. even
where the majority of their leaders
may be led by communists Gas was
not the case in Greece is actually at
heart a drive against tyranny and
toward democracy.
Here again it might be wise to
examine some Of the opinion ex-
pressed by Frenchmen now back
ing the De Gaulle provisional gov
eminent which is a product Of the
forces similar to those operating in
other liberated countries.
The leading editorial in the
December issue Of Free France"
that attractive and Informative
magazine published in New York by
the French provisional government.
gives the reasons for the change Of
attitude toward the French COM
munists as follows:
l. The French communist party
Joined the resistance movement and
later gave its allegiance to De
Gaulle's national committee.
2. The comintern vas dissolved.
3. The communists rendered in
valuable aid to the resistance
movement.
4. The striking collaboration Of all
French patriots in the underground
struggle removed many prejudices.
including the suspicion Of com
munists sans patrie" Ga political
group with loyalty to no fatherland).
The editors of Free France al
tiously state that it is too early to
answer the important question:
Have the French communists ac-
cepted democracy as it is under
stood by the western democracies?
Nevertheless, they note for the rec
ord that so far 1.-The communists
helped to draw up the National Re-
s~istance council program of March.
1914. tacitly accepting the democrat
ic principle" and 1.-The abolition Ct
private property is not listed among
the immediate demands of the COM
munist party"