Evening star., 1949-05-29

N~SsSAA3&4 As<ASssS @A%&4SsN M &ssN@sseh~N ~
gtSseresi electors. In the mt4ss.-
eipal elections Of October ls&T.
the Communists lost over . PEE
cent O. the votes gathered IN isse
and, in the departmental elections
of MArch %. isss, further "a
per cent In rural districts. the
Communist repression. last March
Was more than 6 per cent
Thus. a Shrtnkase Of the Com
manlSi army can be recorded
Nevertheless. the Communist Army
remains fairy formidable OF
several million men and aogn e
en- responsive 10 the Communist
appeal. most know very little II
anything about Marsist dec"
tyins~-and care less They are
the outer rims OF the party They
consider that theli krasyaFees
Will be served by the Communists
more enerset!cally than by any
other party
Liberation Heroes
The impression persists that
the Communist resistance forces
suffered more casualties undes
German occupation than any
other group. This works out 10
the advantage Of the party. A,
the time OF liberation. the graft
tude of the popular classes vent
TO Russia perhaps 10 . greater
extent than TO America and Bri-
tain. Unlike Roosevelt and
Churchill. the Moscow govern
ment had not been involved in
any bitter controversy with Gen,
Charles de Gaulle and the ma
tional committee and the Russian
nation was believed 10 have paid
in blood for the redemption Of
Europe. and q higher price than
any other country,
Between 1912 and 1914. the be-
lief spread throughout France
that the Soviet s;ate had been
purified by the outburst Of mas =
nificent patriotism. that II had
been turned into a kind Of re-
formist regime no longer addicted
to the pursuit OF world revolution,
and that. with a peaceful Russia
powerful enough 10 ovcfpowcr
Germany on ail occasions. peace
Was secure.
In i943, but for transport dif.
ficulties. Gen. de Gaulle would
have ant TO the Russian front the
Free French division which fought
in Labya and TuniSia And IL Ia
|sienifscant that. after the liberia
ton. Frances first great diplo-
matte move was TO sign an al
lance with the U, s, q. r.
No Security Menace
Any elements OF the Consmu.
nist-tended wartime underground
Franc Tireurs' which may re-
main in the French Army today
have been 80 diluted as to be
practically assirnilated with regu-
lar troops. They cannot con-
stitute any menace TO French
security now or In the event oi
war.
The present ofYicer corps rather
deserves the classification re
dictionary" In such surroundings
Communist. however. cautious
is quickly detected and sidetraek-
ed. A deed that can be related
to Communist action or propa =
ganda lis n rare occurrence.
II circumstances should be.
come more propitious TO q rescln-
tionary outburst than in 1919
a very high authority on the
French general stan says that
no Communist organization,
pieced together underground
would have the faintest chance OF
surviving in the open. Guerrilla
warfare. as q mode Of fighting that
can be employed Systematically
had. until our own times. disap-
peared entirely from the books OF
military commanders.
Now, In the light OF the 1870
Io45 precedents. II La recognized as
one OF the several uses 10 which
military power can Be put. In
France. elaborate preparatsorls
have been worked out not only
TO eliminate Ruerriiiss speedily
on French soil. but also TO assist
In the formation OF partisan bands
In enemy lands and to support
them with supplies. and in
some contingencies. with air
borne troops.
Special Precaution
For the protection Of French
territory against gaerriiiaa. no less
than 900 900 men have beeD set
apart. all borrowed from the Older
military Glasses and from nsv re-
cruits training In camps sinee
no regular troops must be diverted
from operationai tasks on the
frontier or beyond TIE equip
ment Ia up 10 date Teams would
quickly repair damage on faii-
ways. bridges. etc. So much for
the prospects Of o Communist In
surreetson.
Two Communist Ministers. Per-
nand Grenier and Charles Tfiion,
have. In turn. reiened over the
air forces. Under them. all direc-
tnrial functions feil 10 the lot Of
Communists and this explains why
Communist cfYecrS have been ard
stiiI are more numerous Ia the
mir forces
In another I5 months n viii
BE- possible for Frsnei1 slr sac-
tories To build up-to-d&t< faxhs-
tns planes Methodaraisy. the Air
Ministry and the sir forces are
being cleared Of tfse last rslsfs
of Communists ascendenry. Dur
mn its tenure Of great ministerial
deparfmensx, the ComAnaintst
Party has shown ttstlf utterly I'M
able 10 produce . bssfsasscrsey of
lis own that masiat be called essn
ssintly efncsent.
The rauas dxmnzanx decline ns