Indo-China Again Debated By French Assembly

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27366, 3 June 1954, Page 11

Indo-China Again Debated By French Assembly

(NuE. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) . PARIS, June 2. The French National Assembly is today continuing its Indo-China debate with the Laniel Government lacking a Secretary of State for Indo-China. Mr Raymond Schmittlein, who held the post for only 24 hours, resigned last night after the de Gaullist Parliamentary group passed by a large majority a motion calling on its members to decline the post.

The portfolio was previously held by another de Gaullist, Mr Marc Jacquet, who resigned because of a dispute over an article in a Paris weekly newspaper. The de Gaullists and some other Right-W ig groups, as well as the Communists, are reported to have decided to bring the Government- down, but observers believe the real danger to Mr Laniel—who has twice narrowly survived IndoChina debates—will not come until some time next week when the results achieved at Geneva may be clearer.

Two motions have been put down in the debate, one by the Conservatives and the other by the Socialists. Both emphasise the Assembly’s wish for a settlement rather than for the “internationalisation” of the IndoChina conflict. The Socialist former Minister of War, Mr Max Le Jeune, was cheered by all parties last night when he said that the Indo-China war was preventing Franca from fulfilling her commitments in Europe, and from keeping order in her North African colonies.