Evening star., 1948-07-20
Communists SEEKING
Premiership in New
French Government
Thorez Pressed as Head
Of Cabinet in Coalition
Of Socialists and Reds
pv the Associated Press

PARIS. July 20-Communists
proposed today that their leader,
Maurice Thorez, be designated
the new French Premier to head
a coalition government of So
cialists and Communists.
Thorez was the first majority
party leader to call on President
Vincent Auriol, who is searching for
a new Premier. Frances middle-of-
the-road government, headed by
Robert Schuman, toppled last night
after a dispute over the armys bud
get.
There was no immediate prospect
of Thorez being invited to share
in the government He called
on Mr.. Auriol first because the
Communist Party has the largest
representation in the National AS
sembly. They and affiliated groups
have 1856 out OF. 618 Deputies. They
were not represented. in the last
cabinet.
Following Thorez was Andre Colin,
secretary general of the Popular
Republican CMRP) group with 153
members in the Assembly. Mr..
Schuman is a member of the MRP,
and many believe he will be called
Oh to form new cabinet.
Foreign Minister Georges Bidault
also Popular Republican, was
hurrying back to Paris from The
Hague, where he attended the meet
ing of the fve-power Western
European Union.
Socialists also called on Mr..
Auriol. They have 103 members in
the Assembly, and like the MRP
were represented in the Schuman
cabinet. Guy Mollet, Charles Lussy
and Alex Roubert made up the
Socialist delegation.
Mr.. Auriol was expected to try to
find a premier who could reunite
the third force" coalition of Popu-
lar Republicans, Socialists and Rad
ical Socialists. Under Mr.. Schu-
mans leadership they had opposed
the Communists on the left and
Gen. Charles de Gaulle's French
Peoples party on the right.
Reynaud Also Mentioned.
Andre Marie was mentioned as
the candidate of the Radical Social
lists. Former Premier Paul Reynaud.
an Independent Republican, figured
also in the speculation.
The developments caused nearly
10000 striking public works en-
ployeS to decide to return to work,
to wait out the Government crisis.
Their leaders found they had no one
with whom to negotiate so they
ordered the strike suspended.
Mr.. Schuman's cabinet, which took
office November %, 1947, contained
no Communists. An indication that
the Communists may make a seri-
GUS bid to get place in the new
cabinet was contained in an editorial
in LHumanite. The Communist
newspaper spoke of the formation
of a government of democratic union
in the heart of which the working
class and its Communist Party would
play a decisive role
The dispute within Mr.. Shuman's S
cabinet on the army budget came
when the premier and his Popular
Republicans sought to spend the
equivalent Of SLOT 900 600 on ma
| tional defense. The Socialists and
Radical Socialists wanted to cut this
by s40,000000
While Mr.. Schuman was willing
tc allow cut of $23 900 900, he re-
fused to go along on the remain
ing S17,000,000. The National As
sembly supported the Socialist posi-
ton, voting 297 to 214 for the full
SAC, 100000 cut. There were rs alb
stentions, largely by followers of
Gen. de Gaulle, when the Assembly
voted.
Mr.. Schuman's cabinet resigned
ICnn rsr a nI(Sr a