Evening star., 1946-10-14

Wm W ITHLrVVV
Despite De Gaune
BY the Assoeiotsd Press
PARIS, Oct. 14-A constitu-
tion for Frances Fourth Repub-
| lie, providing for a powerful
Legislature overshadowing the
President, bore the stamp Of
public approval today. given In
the face of Gen. Charles de
Gaulle's opposition.
The people Of continental France
accepted the new constitution yes
terday by a margin of some l,212, ,000
votes and percentage Of 53.6 in
favor to 46.4 opposed. Voting was
light, with 31.9 per cent Of the reg
istered voters staying away from the
polls.
Gen. de Gaulle, wartime leader OF
the Fighting French, had contended
that the charter was inadequate be-
cause under 1t the executive would
be too weak. He warned that the
Iconstitution would endanger Frances S
future and urged its rejection.
Testimony to Prestige.
But the result of the referendum,
far from being regarded as a defeat
for the general, was taken rather as
strong testimony to his continuing
prestige. Almost single handedly
he nearly defeated the constitution
despite the fact that it was backed
by Frances three major parties.
Official Interior Ministry returns
for continental France showed 9,002,-
467 votes for the constitution to
1905 against it.
Unofficial returns from three
North African departments showed
that that part of the empire had
rejected the constitution, 259, ,156 to
las ,565-making the unofficial totals
for the SO departments OF France
and North Africa 9,148,032 "yes" and
8, ,049 1882 mo-"
Still missing were reports from
Corsica, Martinique, Madagascar, the
South Pacific, Indochina and other
overseas territories, but they could
not change the overall result.
Takes Effect in December.
The constitution will not take
effect unit, early December, when
Parliament is scheduled to be seated.
One chamber, the National AS
sembly of Deputies, win be elected
November 10. The second, the Coun-
Gil of the Republic, is to be chosen
by a complicated electoral college
system. The charter will be effective
from the day that two-thirds Of the
councils members are seated.
An analysis of the referendum left
no doubt in the minds of most OBJ
servers of the scope of Gen. de
Gaulle's moral victory" over Presi-
dent Georges Bidault in a tug-of-war
for leadership of the Popular Re-
publican Movement (MRP).
The combined ''yes" vote garnered
by the Communist, Socialist and
MRP parties-which wrote and
backed the law-was less this time
than that gained by the Commun-
lists and Socialists without MRP
support last May S, when the first
draft of a proposed constitution was
rejected.
In the May voting the Commun-
lists and Socialists poled 9,l09, Ill
supporters for the defeated charter
to 10,450, 1888 for it.
Fail to Stick With BidauIt.
! In yesterdays referendum, MRP
followers, instead of sticking with
Mr.. Bidault and voting for the con-
stitution, either voted no with
Gen. de Gaulle or abstained from
balloting. If they had stuck with
Mr.. Bidault, the "yes" total would
have been 100000 ~
One MRP leader, Francisque Gay,
frankly conceded that If majority
had been greater it would
have given more strength to the
new political institutions.
Paul Reynaud, prewar Premier,
that sit seems the MRP
Party disbanded," and Rightist
Deputy Edmond Barrachin echoed
that sit is evident that MRP cleo
tors did not follow their partyis
orders"
MRP leaders believed that their
faithful would return to the fold
in the November election. But it
seemed evident that If Gen. de
Gaulle wished to indorse the "Gaul-
list Union" and urge it to present
opposition candidates, he could
wreck Mr.. Bidault's Popular Re-
publican movement.
President Nominates Premier.
Gen. de Gaulle, unrivaled in
popularity, alone held the answer
to this question and to another:
Who will be the first President of
the republic? His criticism of the
MRP for backing the constitution
led most observers to believe he
never would consent to be its stand
ard bearer.
The new constitution, drawn up
by constituent assembly, gives
France its first permanent govern
ment structure in six years. BY
it's provisions the President, to
serve sseven years, will be elected
by Parliament in joint session, can
not be elected to a third term and
will hold no veto power over Par
lament, though he may suggest
al,aranros. An a,,x,roxno<l 1onricIn fio,,