FRANCE SEEKS A GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26671, 4 March 1952, Page 7

FRANCE SEEKS A GOVERNMENT

Acute Financial Difficulties fN.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8.40 p.m.) PARIS, March 3 If the French Cabinet crisis is not solved quickly, observers fear it may endanger the entire structure of Western defence, and could even mean the end of the European Army plan. At the same time; the devaluation of the franc would r™n a |riti h lnev be ’ i Which in turn Would have a grave effect on British economy. It is estimated that the Government SOO.OO0 a l day. n< *’ S fl ” anCial dffikulties b Y 4° f / r ? nCe (Mr Vincent Auriol) to-dav renewed his efforts to find a new Prime Minister in France's worst financial crisis since the war. Two former Prime Ministers (Mr Paul Revnaud and Cabinet* 6 P fcVen) last night re > cted his requests to form a Their refusal has placed Mr Auriol in a predicament which, according to the Pans correspondent of the “Daily Mail,” might force him to call on General de Gaulle.

The de Gaullists are the biggest party in the National Assembly, but the Socialists have frequently held the balance of power. Mr Auriol is expected- to-day 'to approach Mr Antoine Pinay, who was Minister of Transport in the Faure Government, Mr Joseph Laniel, who was Mr Faure’s Minister of State, or Mr Louis Jiicquinot. who was Minister for Overseas France in the Government Which has just fallen. Mr Reynaud rejected President Auriol s request to form a new French Government after the Socialists refused to join in consultations with the other non-Communist parties to seek a government of “national union.’’

Mr Reynaud issued a statement deploring France’s governmental instability which, he said, “saddens our friends and makes us the laughing stock of our enemies.”

The President then called in another »former Prime Minister. Mr Rene Pleven, aged 50. fi near Radical and the prime mover in the European Army plan, but he at once declined. Mr Pleven, after leaving Mr Auriol, said: “The President asked me to form a government Of men of goodwill consisting of those parties which were in power in the outgoing government, out which would have the Support of the Socialists and the de Gaullists. In spite of mv desire to do so. I told him I did not think I would have any success in such a difficult task. President's New Plan “The President seems to have in mind calling on the Moderate Conservative leader to-morrow morning to see if it is possible to have a Government constituted on the basis of the parliamentary majority Which voted subsidies to the Roman Catholic schools last September.” • In . September the de Gaullists, the Moderate Conservatives, the Popular Republicans, and some Radicals passed this law on the schools under the Pleven Government, which was composed of Moderate Conservatives. Radicals and Popular Republicans. The Socialists rejected the invitation to join with the proposed roundtable conference because of their objection to collaborating with the de Gaullists. The Socialist leader, Mr Marcel David, to-night condemned the de Gaullists as hypocrites because they were now ready to enter Parliamentary Government "although their leader has Often voiced anti-republi-can sentiments."