Evening star., 1947-04-20

Tile deepening economic tension
within France, and the riffs in its
colonial empire combine to produce
the situation he has awaited. Ac-
cordingly, he has actively entered
the political lists by series of ad-
dresses to the French people. The
opening gun of this forensic CAM
paign was fired at Bruneval in
Normandy, the occasion being a
commemorative service of a daring
commando raid against the Ger
mans. Next came two addresses at
Strasbourg in Alsace. There, De
Ga,llle definitely threw his hat into
the political ring. At Bruneval he
had foreshadowed his entry when
he exclaimed: THE day is coming
when, rejecting sterile games and
reforming the badly needed frame-
work of the country the inn
mense mass of the French will rally
to France" AS Strasbourg. before
an immense audience shouting en-
Enthusiastically: Put De Gaulle in
power!" he asserted: TT is time
that grouping or rally c'reas-
semblement'o of the French people
is organized. which, within the legal
framework. will be able to cause the
profound reform of the state"
Within "a hours of that address, an
organization was launched under
his leadership called THE Reunion
of the French People"
His Primary Objective.
This new organization, while OBJ
viously political, processes to be nom
partisan, in the sense that it in
vites adhesion to it from members
OF all existing parties, planning to
bore from within them all in order
to rally to itself those in every
party who put the issues of con-
stitutional reform and the COM
batting of foreign influence ahead
of other matters.
De Gaulle's primary aim is to
arouse an irresistible public de-
mand for referendum on the re-
vision of the existing constitution,
condemned by De Gaulle as the
basic source of French weakness.
He points out that when the pres
ent constitution was submitted to
the electorate last year it was car
ried by only 100000 votes-9, ,000,-
900 votes "yes" and 100000 mo-"
Even more significant, from De
Gaulle's point of view, Is the fact
that another 100000 abstained
from voting. De Gaulle hopes to
rally enough of those abstainers to
the avowed opponents in order to
revise the constitution according to
his ideas.
Stand on Communism.
More significant to the outside
world is De Gaulle's opposition to
communism. 1t Is his belief that
the French Communist Party is de-
paralyzing the state Ia
the interest of foreign power-ths
Soviet Union-and that therefore 1t
cannot be trusted as a major factor
in running the country. Here we
encounter an interesting evolution
in the attitude of De Gaulle him.
self. At the close of the late war,
De Gaulle sought to hold bal
anced position between Soviet Rus
sia and the English-speaking ma
tions. Today, although he still sub
his anti Communist plank
to that of a constitutional reform,
he apparently feels that, in the last
analysis, France must stand with
the western democracies in the
worldwide struggle between them
and the forces of international
communism centering in Moscow.
At least, that is the logical infer
ence to be drawn from a passage in
his Strasbourg address, when, in the
presence Of our Ambassador, Jeffer-
son Caffery, he proclaimed: "If a
new tyranny should ever menace all
or part of the world, We may be cer-
tain that the United States and
France would be together to oppose
it," In this, De Gaulle undoubtedly
voices widespread trend in
French public opinion which is in
fearful of Communist
aims within France and increasingly
determined to oppose Communist
activity, even though this should
precipitate domestic crisis of the
gravest character.
Has Mission"
The current trend in France, not
only against communism but also
toward closer relations with Amer
lea and Britain, may be furthered
by Mr.. Molotov's dissent on Secre-
tary Marshall's proposal that the
Saar be economically incorporated
into France. Saar coal Is vital to
Frances nearby Lorraine iron which
Is the basis of French heavy indus
try. Molotoy's action Is. obviously
to hinder Franco -Ameri-
can accord, but most Frenchmen
will doubtless see through the ma.
neuver, which will tend to strength
en- their dislike Of Soviet tactics.
In all this, it is necessary to yis-
aalize the personality of De Gaulle
himself in order to understand the
undoubted hold he has on so large
. proportion Of the French people.
De Gaule is certainly not a poll
tician," IN the ordinary sense of the
word. Stiff, aloof, ungracious, and
uncompromising, he has none of the
arts associated with the professional
vote-getter. What endears him to
his followers is his almost fanatical
combined with sense
of mission" to save France in a.