Evening star., 1951-01-21
De GaulIe's Return
To Political Power
Forecast by Some
BY Paul GhoIi
Foreign Correspondent of The Stor and
The Chicago Dolly News

forei9n correspondent OF The Stof and
The Chicago Dolly News
PARIS, Jan. 90. - Is 1851
Charles de Gaulle's year of des-
tiny?
r Top political observers in Paris
say yes. They predict the one
time Free French leaders return
as No. l man-within France or
in exile-perhaps even before the
middle of the year.
Gen. de Gaulle thriveS on crisis.
AS the staJe of the world Worsens,
his fortunes climbed and in to-
days East-West cleavage. with
the shadow of the Soviet Jug
gernaut over Western Europe, his
chances seem better than ever.
Iron-Fist Policy.
= Gen. de Gaulle today is the one
French leader who holds the
hopes of all Frenchmen who be-
lieve the only road to peace lies
in huge rearmament and an
iron-fist policy toward the Krem-
Inns powerful fifth column.
In this he has the added advan-
tage of being in agreement with
Washington. This is especially
strange for a man who built his
political fame at home on his in
domltable resistance to President
Roosevelt's and Prime Minister
Churchill's demands when they
opposed his conception of Frances
best interests.
Favors German Rearmament.
!, Gen. de Gaulle feels France can
. raise twice as many divisions as
1t has already promised under its
, Atlantic pact commitments. He
also feels that whether Moscow
|. likes it or not, Western German
; rearmament should be speeded up.
. Gen. de Gaulle's position now
. and mis- intentions if and when
he assumes power were fully ex-
planned in Washington by his
s emissary, Gen. Pierre Billotte last
December. Although Gen. Bill
lotte'S mission dampened the
hopes of Gaullist hotheadS' intent
on coup d'etat. the general him
self favors doing things prop
erly," that is, constitutionally.
! AS Gen. de Gaulle sees his po-
litical comeback, it can be attained
. either before the general elections
scheduled for November. by ini-
tiative of the president Of the re-
public, or by an electoral victory
which gives him a dominant place
in the National Assembly.
Earlier Election Idea Dropped.
AS a result of Gen. Billotte's
mission to Washington, he has
dismissed any ideas of call fol
earlier general elections. as this
might conflict with organization
of Frances economic and military
role in Europe's defense.
To convince President Vincent
Auriol, Gen. De Gaulle knows he
must have the support of Premier
Rene Pleven. 1t is up to Mr.
Pleven to go to Mr.. Auriol and
say that his responsibilities are
too heavy at such critical time
and that he wants to share them
with Gen. De Gaulle.
Indeed, some well Uniformed
Gaullists believe this suggestion
may be tactfully presented to Mr..
Pleven when he visits President
Truman late this month as a way
to strengthen Frances govern
ment.
There Is a Hitch.
But although most of Mr.. Plev-
ems cabinet men served with Gen.
De Gaulle or were his close friends
at one time, there's a hitch. 1t
lies in Mr.. Pleven's own fears
that Gen. De Gaulle's presence
in the government might diminish
party solidarity and strengthen
TLeQ OppOSlLiOl1.
But if that fails, what are Gen
de Gaulle's chances for election?
He hasn't made up his mind
whether to run for a parliamentary
seat himself, or what election posi-
tion his party will adopt. Per-
sonally he's inclined to fight the
elections single with his
own RPF party.
Given 25-35T of Votes.
A conservative but fair esti-
mate of Gen. de Gaulle's electoral
chances at this time, made after
a careful examination of France S
political map, gives him between
Is and 35 per cent of the votes
approximately the strength of the
present Communist group.
This would mean that Parlia-
ment would be even more Difficult.
to handle than today. Roughly,
it would be divided into two ex-
tremist parties, Gaullists and Com
munists, with in-betWeen a few
parties of weak disheartened mod
crates.
To govern with a stable ma
jority Gen. de Gaulle would in
that case have to enlist men of
other moderate parties, where he
has many friends.