Evening star., 1953-05-24
France Calls MoIet,
Socialist Leader,
To Form Cabinet
By the Associofed Press

PARIS, May 23.-PreSident
Vincent Auriol today called in
Guy Mollet, secretary general of
the French Socialist Party, in
an effort to get a cabinet to sue
ceed that of Premier Rene Mayer,
which the Socialists helped to
oust Thursday. Mr.. Mollet de-
ferred his reply.
There were growing indica-
tions, as Mr.. Auriol searched for
a new premier. that many parli-
amentarians were becoming tired
and alarmed by the feeble man
agement of France in the post
war years.
Mr.. Mayer, a Radical (moder-
ate) Socialist, lasted only a little
more than four months. His
rather conservative coalition was
Frances 18th government since
Paris was liberated from the
Germans in 1914.
Largest Group in Assembly.
To most observers, Mr.. Auriol's
move to get Mr.. Mollet in the
premiership appeared to be a
routine gesture. The Socialists
have baked at the proposed re-
armament of West Germany
under the six-nation European
army treaty. With their I05
deputies making up the largest
single group in the NATIONAL AS
Sembly, they have preferred to
stay out of recent cabinets. They
have been in definite opposition
to the last two.
Socialists, Communists and De
Gaullists were allied against
Mr.. Mayors government in the
vote of confidence by which it
was toppled. 328-244. Mr.. Mayer
had demanded power to bypass
the Assembly in trimming the
national spending down to
level to fit the taxes he hoped
to raise.
Mr.. Mollet served as Vice Pre-
mier under Radical Socialist
Henri Queuille in 1851. Earlier
that year he had tried himself
to form a cabinet in one of
Frances many crisis, but failed |
to get parliamentary approval
OF the ministers he wished to
appoint. 1t is not certain that |
he will try again. He may reply
tomorrow.
Pinay Another Possibility.
The most popular Premier
France has had in recent years,
Antonio Pinay, was another pos
sibility. He is an independent.
Members of parliament ard old
newspaper hands covering the
assembly said it was more likely
he would wait awhile before
resuming the premiership from
which he was ousted five months
ago. I
He told newsmen as he left.
Tor his home in central France
for the long Pentecost week end
that he would be willing to come
back IF I am given the means'S
to meet the governments prob
lens. .
"The powers refused to- M.
Rene Mayer are much less than
would be really needed" he said.
Criticism of Frances confused
Confused Policy Criticized. /
interior and foreign policy came.
both from Frenchmen and from
abroad.
Spokesman for the land-own-
ing Peasant Party, whose inhu-
ence has grown in recent months,
declared:
I'VE are coming to a time when
France must accomplish some
deep GnterioO reforms and de-
eide what it's position is to be in
international affairs"
This was a theme expressed in
other political sectors, both pub
licly and privately.
In addition, the London econo-
mist. a Conservative British
indicated it was time
that France clarified her position
and decided whether she wanted
TO move toward federated
Europe, with West Germany in I
cluded. or toward a looser ar !
rangement in which the Ger
mans would be brought into the
North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
linn