Evening star., 1946-12-28
2Ki||ed as TWA Constellation Gen. De Gau|e
Crashes and Exp|odes on Isle in RefusestoRw
River at Shannon, Fire, Airport Forpresident
Declines to Preside
With Impotence Over
Impotence of Stute'
BY the Assoeiofed Press

PARIS, Dec. 28.-Gen. CharleS
de Gaulle said today he would
not be candidate for President
of Frances Fourth Republic.
The French Legislature is to elect
the President January 16 or soon
after.
In written statement delivered
to the press, the wartime leader OF
the Free French and first head of
Frances postwar provisional gov
ernment said he did not believe
according to my conscience" that
| it would be well for him to preside,
with impotence, over the impotence
of the state"
Gen. de Gaulle said he was max
| ing his statement in answer to a
question put to him about his future
intentions. He did not specify
whether this question was the one
the Associated Press submitted to
him some time ago.
The general has objected to the
constitution of the Fourth Republic
on the ground that it gives too much
power to the legislature and too
little to the executive.
Text of Statement.
His statement follows:
by duty to France and with re-
spect for the republic, I made known
at the appropriate moment that in
my opinion the executive regime Of
parties, such as they are. amongst
our people. such as it is, cannot
resolve the very grave domestic, i'm
perial and international problems
upon which depends our life.
"I do not believe, then, according
to my conscience, that it would be
well for me to serve the country by
pretending to become the guarantor
of a constitution which consecrates
that regime and to preside, with
impotence, over the impotence OF
the state.
MY conviction is. on the con-
trary, that the men who will have
to guide the French Republic to
safety and reconstruction can sue
ceed only if our national institu-
tions, dominating our divisions, Or
Iganize the state in the service OF a
single national interest"
The National Assembly dover
house, and Council of the Republic
upper house, adjourned last night
until January IA. Two days later
they will meet in joint session at
the Palace Of Versailles to elect the
first President of the new Fourth
Republic.
Socialist Vincent Auriol is the
only avowed candidate for the post
up to now, but there certainly will
be others, perhaps including Radi-
cai-Socialist Edouard Herriot, for
mer Premier and now back at his OLD
job as Mayor of Lyon; Socialist
Leon Blum, the present interim
President-Premier; or even Georges
Bidault, Popular Republican Move
ment (MRP) leader and former
President Premier, although most
quarters believe he is a more likely
candidate for Premier.
Difficulties in Prospect.
In any event, the political lineup
of the joint session in January fore
casts as many difficulties in electins
a national president as the Council
of the Republic encountered yester-
day in choosing August Champetier
de Ribes of the MRP as its president.
The Council took three votes be-
fore Champetier de Ribes was
chosen, by relative majority-124
votes, to 119 tor George Marrane,
Communist, and one for Jules Cas-
ser, Radical There were
nine blank ballots.
If, as is customary, the smaller
parties align themselves with the
three major parties January 16, the
strength of the blocs appears to be
about as follows: Communist-So-
cialist, 422 votes; MRP-Rightist, 800
votes; Radical-Socialist, 103 votes.
This is subject to change, since 90
odd members of the Council remain
to be chosen in the colonies.
The lineup demonstrates, however,
that without Radical Socialist sup
port, neither of the two most power
full blocs can roll up the 451 votes
needed to elect the republics new
president on the first two ballots. =