Evening star., 1951-08-12
PIeven's S New Cabinet.
Buckles Down 10 Task
OF BoIsfering Defense
ey the Assoeioted Press

PARIS, Aug. 11.-A new French
government, one of the most con-
servative since the war, won what
amounted to a vote of confidence
today and buckled down to the
immediate task of putting France
in the forefront of Western de-
Tense.
Rene Pleven. tall. Soft-spoken
businessman, is the new premier
1t was Mr.. Pleven who, when
premier last winter, flew to Wash
ington to see President Truman
and assure him of Frances de-
termination to do her part in the
Atlantic pact.
1t was Mr. Pleven who launched
the plan to create a unified Euro
pean army, composed of units of
Western European nations, as a
solution of the problem of putting
rifles back in the hands of Ger
mans.
He introduced something new
in his cabinet-tWo vice premierS
who might be called Atlantic pact
ministers.
Bidault Gets Post.
One of these is former Foreign
Minister Georges Bidault, who was
made vice premier and Minister
of Defense. He will have under
him an assistant minister of de-
fense and secretaries for army,
navy and air force. He will rep
resent France in Atlantic pact de-
tense conferences.
The other is Rene Mayer, for
mer finance and justice minister.
who was named vice premier and
minister of finance and economics.
He will handle team of nine men
who will be ministers of the bud
get. industry. commerce and for
eign trade, agriculture, labor, and
reconstruction, and secretaries of
state for economic affairs, COM
merce and agriculture.
Mr.. Mayors main job will be to
prevent the rearmament burden
from causing any economic up
heavalS.
For the first time in a long time,
there are no Socilists in the new
cabinet. They decided not to be
represented. Neither are there any
Communists or De Gaullists.
A Minority Government.
The new cabinet actually is a
minority government. The men in
I 1t are from parties which control
i only 275 of the assembly's 6l4
seats. But the Socialists have
promised him the support that will
assure him majority.
Most of the key ministries went
to the Catholic Popular Republi-
can Movement (MRP). Several
other key jobs went to the Radical
Socialists, a moderate party which
gets most of its support from small
bushes and farmers.
The rest went to independents
and Mr.. Pleven's own right-of-
center Socialist and Democratic
resistance union.
It's a question how long the
Pleven cabinet, formed after a
month-long crisis, can stay In
Office.
He will need the constant sup
port OF the Socialists. Should thew
vote against him on any key issue
down he will go. The Socialists
backed him today in the assembly
vote to postpone a debate on the
composition Of the cabinet. The
vote was $50 to 222.
Much Out of Cabinet.
Leaving the Socialists out took
one OF the key men in defense
from the cabinet. He is Jules
Moch, retiring defense minister
who worked hard to fulfill
Frances promise to have 1oI
divisions ready for Gen. Eisen-
hower's command by the end of
the year.
But Robert Schuman (MRP)
stays on as foreign minister. a
Job he has held for three years.
Other Popular Republicans in
the new cabinet are: BidauIt:
Jean-Marie Louvel, industry:
Pierre Pflimlin, commerce; Paul
Bacon, labor; Robert Buron, in
formation; Pierre de Chevigne,
secretary for army: Jean Letour-
neau. overseas territories, and
Maurice Schuman (no relation to
the foreign minister), secretary of
state for foreign affairs.
Radical Socialists include Mr..
Mayer, Charles Bruno, interior:
Edgar Faure, justice; Henri
Queuille, outgoing premier, min
lister of state; Maurice Bourges-
Maunoury, assistant defense min
lister, and Andre Marie, a former
premier. education.
Independents got nine posts
most of them secondary. But two
OF them are Jaques Gavini, secre-
tary for the navy, and Pierre
Monte, secretary for the air
force.
Mr.. Queuille and his cabinet
resigned July 10 as the result of
the June II elections. Seven men
tried to form a government be-
fore Mr.. Pleven succeeded.