Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-17
France Faces
Slim Choice in
Ending Crisis
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND

PARIS. April i7.-As French
President Coty began shuffiing
through lists OF prospective
premiers today. Il was agreed
here that France has fallen
into the worst cabinet crisis Of
the postwar republic.
There seemed 10 be no solu-
ton 10 her governmental prob
lens. Only two different courses
OF action seem possible-find
another Premier like the OUT
going Felix Gaillard, an innocu-
GUS timeserver who could hold
things together for another few
months. or turn 10 an extreme
remedy like Gen. Charles De
Gaulle. who would cut through
Frances problems with a die
tatorial knife.
The first alternative could
only postpone the day when
France would face squarely her
social. financial and North AZ
rican problems. The second al
tentative was dreaded by all but
the far Rightists and by the
Communists, who would hope to
lead the Leftists to a counter
coup.
Can't Delay Long
The best bet was for another
patched up, do-little govern
ment like the one Just voted
out. The reasons for expecting
such a government are these:
First. France this time be-
lieves 1t cannot long delay Sc
lection Of a new premier. An
important NATO foreign min
isters meeting begins in three
weeks and most deputies be-
lieve France cannot afford to
attend without a new cabinet
with full powers. Also. the
Tunisian crisis. is still hot and
1t is feared that some incident
may set of a war unless
France gets a government
which can resume attempts at
a settlement there. And prep
arations for a summit meeting
would ignore Frances views
until a new cabinet took office.
A second reason for expect
ing a patch-up government Is
that it is the only kind a ma
jority might conceivably agree
on.
A third reason is that as
the crisis continues. mounting
talk Of an authoritarian regime
will force the moderate left and
center to bury enough Of their
differences to accept some
pallid premier.
Advice From Politicians
President Coty now is listen
ing to the advice of party heads
in an effort to find what kind
Of new government could be
formed. He is expected to turn
first to the Right as it was the
Rightist group which brought
down Premier Gaillard. Some
one like former Premier An
tome Pinay or former Algerian
Gov. Jacques Soustelle could
be tried first. But as the So
cialists and Center would
almost rather die than take one
of these men, they are expected
to veto them.
Mr.. Coty would logically then
turn to the left. The Social
lists leader. former Premier
Guy Mollet. would be invited
to try, but he has already said
his party would not participate
in the next government under
any circumstances. Then Mr..
Coty would try a variety Of
figures in left-center, right
center and center-center until
he found a man acceptable to
the Assembly or until a coup
put an end to this democratic
procedure.
Hot emotion and cold figures
will complicate the job Of find-
ing a new premier.
Tempers Flare
Tempers in the Assembly are
higher than ever after inter
vention" in Frances Tunisian-
Algerian problem by President
Eisenhower. Illustration over
the failure to solve Frances
problems also keeps emotion
ahead Of reason. Upcoming
local elections are forcing dep
uties to be more rigid than
before and one becomes pessi-
mistic over any quick and easy
end to the crisis.
Just a head count Of the
deputies shows why any rea-
sonable candidate for PREMIER
ship will have trouble. One
third will vote against any con-
structive new government. The
Communists on far left and the
Poujadists on the far right
would vote only for their own
brands of fascism.
Therefore a majority of some
800 voters must come from 400
Democratic deputies sitting be-
tween the troublemaking ex-
tremes. These 400 are split on
fundamental issues of foreign
and domestic policy. They
agree only that there should be.
Democratic decisions on these
matters.