The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-20

Of the conStltuClon or 10fo or py ultimately writing a new constituti
 To the time of writing it is generally expected France will go to the polls over this issue some time in the fall, probably October or November. Nevertheless, this is still not certain and his opponents credit Gen. Charles de Gaulle with the intention of seeking to put the elections of as long as possible. Already considerable excitement has been caused by the report the gov- ernment would attempt to make the fall elections purely cannonal ones, which would put the real elections of till late winter or pos- sibly next spring"
 The issue facing Frenchmen is basically this: will the country be called to elect Constitutional As- sembly or 8 Senate and Chamber of Deputies making the 4th Repub- lie direct continuation of the 3rd. The 3rd Republic died in the sum- mer of 1941 in the Casino of Vichy whom Pierre Laval persuaded the majority of Deputies and Senators to hand their legislative powers over to Marshal Henri Philippe Petain.
 The Communists, Socialists, the OCT labor organizations, the Pop ular Republican Movement and all resistance organizations in general are solidly in favor of operating a complete cut with the France of 193o-burying the vestiges of the 3rd Republic and beginning a new political life with the election of a Constituent Assembly. Leon Blum. father of international socialism and erstwhile Popular Front Pre- nier of France, is in the front rank of the leaders of this movement.
 Rightists Oppose
 Their demands are being vehe- meutly opposed by tn powerful Radical Socialist party, led by Paul Bastid, and seconded by nearly all other elements right of center.
 The Communists and Socialists desire to mark symbolically the revolutionary nature of the his torical period now drawing to its close. They are of the opinion that 8 one-chamber assembly would be more courageous, more enterpris- ing and less likely to be attached to the traditions of pre-war France than would a chamber of which would sit the Senate and Chamber of Deputies as a single body. The Senate in France has always rep resented the conservativv farmer and landed gentry clements and has traditionally been a ferocious enemy of innovations and any, thing smacking of risk in the poli- tical field.
 Leon Blum has this well in mind. He has not forgotten the stubborn blocking, tackling and obstruction ism he met at the hands of the Senate during the Popular Front. days between 1886 and 1888 when practically every type of social re- form he tried was almost invari- ably thrown out of the Senate. He now sees an excellent chance to wipe out this old grudge and is going to make the most of 1t, and do everything in his power to pre- went what was once the Senate from having a hand in the forma- lation of new type of government which will have to decide the fate k France possibly for many dec- e4es to come
 The idea of a Continental As- esMbly also has a great many ad- kerents in the Resistance Move Rlent. They also want a clean break with the 3rd Republic and are consequently against recogniz- ing the validity of the Constitu- tion of 1875 which created it. What they demand is new regime, cre- ated, not by the institutions in force till June 1940, but by single assembly directly refiecting the poli- tican tendencies of the people at the present moment.
 Tt is quite out of the question to consider carrying on with a regime which went from defeat to defeat and finally crashed down in shame and diShonor," the re- sistance Newspaper Franctireur re- gently wrote.
 Issue Is Complex
 $ That is the problem facing France in it's most simple form. &Uwever, it is not so easy as that and as invariably happens in all political issues of this kind there are always the dle-of-the. roaders who prefer the less clear cut third alternative"
 Thus, there are number of men in the Resistance movements who, while supporting the idea of a Constituent Assembly, felt never theless that it has certain draw. backs and should have its mandate limited to one year.
 They argue that French history has shown that when a single As- sembly finds itself alone face to face with the Executive power either the Assembly becomes all- powerful, as happened during the Revolution, or the Executive power ends by expressing the Assembly. as happened after 1846 when the revolutionaries proclaimed the re- public which was suppressed by the coup d'etat of 1851.
 The Radical Socialists and the parties to their right have pre- tented d number of historical and- lssal 4EguneEiz aealnst tAe else-