A CIVIL WAR PREDICTED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21775, 6 May 1936, Page 11

A CIVIL WAR PREDICTED

NEW GOVERNMENT IN

FRANCE

PROGRAMME OF FRONT

POPULAIRE

DISSOLUTION OF CROIX DE FEU

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTBIGHT.)

(Received May 5, 10.30 p.m.)

LONDON, May 5.

The Paris correspondent of "The Times" says the programme of the Front Populaire, although generally moderate, includes items which may lead to serious trouble if pressed unskilfully. Among these is the dissolution and disarmament of the Croix de Feu, which its followers declare will lead to-civil war, as the Croix de Feu claims to have 800,000 followers, armed and organised, who will resist dissolution. Another is in the reform of the Bank of France, which is expected to be placed under public control. This is already unsettling both, large and small capitalists, causing fears of an embargo on the export of capital which, it is believed, will lead to devaluation. It is hoped that the Opposition will give the Front Populaire a fair chance to govern, and thereby prevent too drastic measures, with resultant panic. The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says M. Maurice Thorez stated: "Now we will be able to make a levy on large fortunes. The final state of the parties is:— Left 381, Right 237.

"A VICTORY FOR

MOSCOW"

GERMAN VIEW OF FRENCH ELECTIONS

HITLER'S WARNING JUSTIFIED

BERLIN, May 4,

The German press, which is featuring the French elections as a victory for Moscow, says: "Perhaps England and others will now realise the reality of the danger against which Nazi Germany has protected all Europe. „ "The results justify Herr Hitler saying on March 7 that in assessing the danger of the Franco-Soviet Pact he had to take account of the possibility of a Red regime in France.

["lt is regrettable that after all Germany's efforts to come to terms, France should conclude the FrancoSoviet Pact," said Herr Hitler in the Reichstag on March 7, when announcing the reoccupation of the Rhineland "I proposed everything possible to lessen Franco-German tension, and all was rejected. Britain, with a sense of reality, accepted my proposal for a restrictive naval agreement, which is all that remains of our disarmament efforts." Herr Hitler described Russian arming, declaring that it was contrary to the spirit of Locarno, and adding that the Soviet championed Bolshevism. Would Paris become another Moscow? he asked. •'Russia assumes obligations far beyond the stipulations of the League Covenant," he stated. "France is bound •to military action against Germany even if lot entitled to it by the leagues decisions. France thus claims for herself the right to decide who is the aggressor. The agreement, in practice, means nothing other than a decision to act as if the league and the Locarno Treaty did not exist."]