FRANCE—AND N.Z.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 165, 13 July 1940, Page 8

FRANCE—AND N.Z.

I It is odd —or perhaps it is not odd —that the Prime Minister should angrily ;>i>ject to Mr. Doidge's attempt in the House of Representatives yesterday to discuss the condition of France when a Socialist Government was in office. Alili ,igh no one would pretend that the circumstances of France and New Zealand were even approximately similar, it is true that France'*) defences were weakened by the legislation and administration of the Government of M. Blum. At one time there were a million and a half men on strike. The 40-hour week, applied indiscriminately, cut down production in the defence industries. The strike habit continued long after the Blum

Government fell, one result being | that when M. Daladier formed his Government, in April, 1935, not a -ingle aeroplane engine was leaving the factories. M. Blum himself afterwards acknowledged that a major cause oi! his Government's failure was the indiscipline and the incessant demands of its own supporters in the trade unions. Nor should it bo forgotten that one of the main props of the Blum Government, and, as ever, the greatest militant in the unions, was the Communist parly. These, are facts, and reference to them in New Zealand is not to he suppressed because M. Blum is now in exile in England. Mr. Fraser's anger had better be vented on the leaders of those unions which are threatening the security of his own Government, and on Mr. Boswell, one of his own supporters, who yesterday had the audacity to say in Parliament that he sees no reason why a man should not be a Communist. If Mr. Fraser wants to retain public confidence he should promptly provide Mr. Boswell, and some others, with a reason for revising such views, or leaving the party.