Evening star., 1951-03-18
AurioI Comes to Defend Frances Defense Efforts
Brings Reinsurance
Of His Nations
Stund With West
By Creston B. Mullins

President Vincent Auriol OF
France arrives in Washington a
week from Wednesday for a six
day state visit as the first French
chief of state ever to come to
America.
French Premiers-Rene Plever
was the latest-and cabinet min
listers have received the homage
of the country which their fore
bears helped to create. but even
the stresses of World Wars and
II never sent a President Of
France to these shores.
1t is under the menace. how
ever, of third world war that
the man who most closely repre-
sents all France comes to reassure
us of Frances firm determination
to stand with the Western democ-
racies and to do it's part in build
ing the vast defense machine
which it is hoped will discourage
Soviet Russia from ever taking
the supreme gamble of war.
M. Auriol's visit to President
Truman-which will include an
address to Congress-will set the
capstone on the call a month ago
of the now deposed Premier
Eleven.
Although M. Pleven has given
way to Henri Queuille and q new
coalition government, in an effort
to find a solution to the vexing
problem Of electoral reform, M.
Auriol is still the President of
France, and will be for three
more years, providing that anchor
in the sea of politics which the
French people need.
To Answer Critics
It is as the anchor and first
citizen of the French people that
M. Auriol, a Socialist, will receive
Americas plaudits and will seek
to answer some of the criticisms
hurled at his country in the heat
|of Western rearmament efforts.
The President of France is a
symbol, flgurehead. He is the
chief of the French state, per-
forming the most formal func-
tions, which in the case of the
President of the United States
are combined with those of a
.cnief of government.
M. Auriol is the first President
.of the Fourth French Republic
which was created in 1946. While
not directly elected by the French
people, he was chosen by the
combined houses of Parliament
the National Assembly and the
Council of the Republic. Thus
he represents the whole French
nation, not the particular party
government which may be in
power.
M. Auriol will not be able to
state any policies for the Queuille
government, now struggling with
Frances vast troubles in rearma-
ment. imitation and electoral re-
form. Being thus deprived of the
power to deal with the hard facts
Of Frances political affairs, M
Auriol still represents considerable
power. 1t is his job to see that
France always has a government
and he has wide discretion in
summoning the political leader he
believes best able to form and
maintain a government in Office
When one government resigns he
is the sole repository of executive
authority in the French Republic
until new government is formed
Nickname 'Schoolmaster'
Once government is formed
however. he withdraws into the
background of political affairs and
has nothing to do with formula
ton and execution of policy. He
is not a totally disinterested spec
tator, however, for not only are
all the proceedings of the govern
ment reported to him, but he also
presides at cabinet meetings.
He is a real factor for concilia-
ton within the cabinet, over which