The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-22
No Local Elections
Rv ANNE o,HARE MCCORMICK

The citizens of France voted in $4,000
local elections. Ostensibly they were choos-
ing city governments, but actually tney
were taking sides on the issue that divides
the world For the second time in week
| first in Rome and now in the peculiarly
varieg gated and self-centered towns OF
France municipal vote has taken on the
Importance of an international event. Moth
ing points up so sharply the strange COM
plex of contest and community in which we
live than the fact that French mechanic
or an Italian cobbler cannot cast ballot
for a city councillor any more without
voting for or against communism, the Mar
shall plan, the United States or the ooVlet
Union.
In bright. chilly weather, with no cloud
in the pale sky save the overhanging dread
of a general strike, the people OF Paris
walked to the polls. Although they grumbl-
ed as they walked at the Week-old tle-up
of the city transport system, they never
theless turned out in greater numbers than
in any of the six preceding postwar elec-
tions. The result will not be known until
after next Sundays run-offs in the smaller
towns but the size of the vote proves that
the French people are fully aware OF the
significance Of their decision
Since liberation, and long before, they
have been in a suspended state OF civil
war; This internal schism undermined the
Third Republic and confused the approach
to the war. It has weakened postwar gov
ernments and checked the process OF re-
coverv. But the issue is clearer today than
ever before, and yesterdays heavy ballot
ing. unusual in municipal contests, is evil
dence that the French are not indifferent
or politically apathetic. Whatever happens,
the fate of France will not be settled by
default.
The first returns, for what they are
worth, suggest that the curious, unc!assl-
fable movement of General de Gaulle, a
party formed out of distrust Of all parties,
'rally'' of the forces opposed to the
Communists, may cut through party lines
more drastcally than was anticipated. At
this writing, these returns are mostly
from the central districts of Paris, which
voted anti Communist in previous tests.
While they are not, therefore, fair sample
Gaulist strength is drawn mostly from the
Popular Republicans, as was expected, ana
that it may turn out to be more formidable
than any political forecaster predicted.
When all the votes are counted, they
will not give the final answer to the big
question: "Is France going Communist? II
the Communists do not gain enough IN TINS
election to return to the Government, they
will certainly carry on the struggle for pow
er by other methods Wherever they have at
tempted to WIN by democratic processes
they have failed. This is one OF the most
interesting phenomena of a period made
for Communist conquest, period curing
which, indeed, they have vastly increased
their dominion by military victory and
political coercon.
But so far they have not won by per-
suasion Hunger and discomfort and uncer-
tainty have swelled their ranks, and are
likely to win them more votes before all
the returns are in, but even these mighty
allies have not yet given them a majority.
It may be that the current elections IN
France and Italy are Moscow's last at
tempt to achieve power by votes. Strong
as the Communists are in these countries,
their political position is weaker than 1t
was year ago. They have been thrown
out of the governments, and for several
months non Communist administrations,
feeble and fumbling as they are, have
managed somehow to carry on without
them Nor have they gained much in op-
position.
But they have other and more congenial
weapons than votes. They have the genera
strike. cumulative disorder, civil war, the
revolutionary coup d'etat. The resurrection
of the Comintern or the Cominform, as it
is now called was an admission OF the
failure of constitutional methods IN coun- |
tries where Soviet pressure could not be
directly applied. The Manifesto summon |
ed the workers of the world to rise 1t
Lacked the VlSOr ana COIlV1CIAoi VI Vic
original call, but it plainly announced a re-
turn to the old form of warfare.
The change of tactics in France and
italy shows that the new phase has begun.
Both countries are torn by strikes AS each
stoppage of work or public service is end
ed by wage increases that never keep up
with the soaring costs of ever-diminishing
supplies, other strikes begin We can look
for a rising crescendo of labor troubles.
The Communists rule the labor unions on
both sides of the Alps, and their aim, OBJ
viously concerted, is to defeat the Marshall
plan in the one field where they can et-
fectively intervene.
Where they can register their own
choices, the people of Europe can save
freedom by the ballot They can vote to
keep the Communists out OF government.
In France and Italy they have held the
fort in the first campaign. But in the sec
ond campaign, now beginning, the United
States holds the decisive weapons. The So
Wet strategists have lost the initiative in
Western Europe, and they are striking back
furiously, in accusations and threats, te-
cause they have no other means to counters
American aid. Only if this aid fails, only
if we are diverted from our pledged and
primary task of laying the economic foun-
dations of peace, can we lose battle in
which the majority is on our side.-NEW