The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-11-27
NEWS and VIEWS
By ALEXANDER S. LIPSETT Gan ILNS Feature)

Belated attempts to rid French
trade unionism of the Communist
vermin seem to have come to
nought. If last weeks decisions of
the national council of the CGT
(French Confederation of Labor)
and increasing violence of both the
left and right are indications of
things to come, then the long-fear
ed civil war has become fact.
Rebuking the Socialist minority
under Leon Jouhaux, veteran lead
er Of the French trade union move
ment but in reality little more than
figure head since the liberation,
the CGT council cast an overwhelm-
ing vote for wage ultimatum, re-
turnable Dec. 19. In a Communist
proposed manifesto the federation
leadership also called upon the
working people of France to rally
in mass meetings round the CGT
standards "in case the government
refuses our requests" In the same
breath the manifesto denounced
the government in typical Com
munist language and summoned
the workers to form republican de-
fense committees against de Gaul-
lism. The threat of general strike
and revolutionary street demon
strations was underscored by an g.
to-1 vote against the Marshall plan,
describing the latter as "blackmail
and enslavement of the world to
American trusts"
Whether Jouhaux is willing to
continue as head of the CGT and
bear responsibility for its policies
remains to be seen. While the Com
munists are anxious to retain an
outward semblance of labor unity,
the real boss is Benoit Frachon-
a fiery, heavyset Frenchman, who
told me this summer to what
lengths the Communists are ready
to GO to attain their ends.
According to ILNS reports, Jou-
haux objected to the new strategy
on the ground that it took the de-
termination of French union poll
cies away from the 6,OO0,0 ,00O-strong
membership and into the hands of
the unorganized and uncontrolled |
But that is the kind of rev.
action the Communists |
want, just as they regard the re-
publican defense committees as a |
stone to the setting up OF |
workers revolutionary councils |
after the Soviet pattern. Even the |
wage demands Of the unions, JUS
titled as they are, are means to-
ward the same end. They are |
meant to whip up popular discon-
tent and pave the way for destruc-
ton of the so-called third force,
of Socialist and left-wing
center parties behind the Rama
dier government.
None of these desperate policies
makes sense unless we realize the
of de Gaullism and it's i'm
fied threat of French labor. The
1eGaulle movement, to judge from
of the general, is begin
ming to resemble earlier mass
led by men on horseback
and even the same Communists
whom the former president so man
festly despises.
AS to labor, the significance of
.he de Gaulle trend toward dicta-
,orship becomes apparent in the
proposed revision Of the French
,rade union structure and the
Wrestling of union control from
hose who abuse it for their own
ends and profits" Shades of Mus
solini's corporate unions and Hit
er's labor front, not to speak of
Russian trade uninonism subject
% the Kremlin's orders! Here
again is the stereotyped formula of
hose who in the name of discipline
md order seek to crush free labor
md turn it into an instrument of
he all-powerful state.
Not that French organized labor
ioes not need a thorough house
.leaning or that de Gaulle's stric-
ures against Communist excesses
ire unjustified. But that is not
he heart of the issue which divides