GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27584, 15 February 1955, Page 13

GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE

Pflimlin Abandons Attempt

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 14. Mr Pierre Pflimlin early this morning reported to the President of France (Mr Rene Coty) that he was unable to form a new French Government. At 4.30 a.m. Mr Coty invited a former Socialist Minister of Finance (Mr Christian Pineau) to call on him with a view to asking him to try where two others—Mr Pflimlin and Mr Antoine Pinay, had already failed.

The President was apparently not taken altogether by surprise by Mr Pflimlin’s failure, even although most diplomatic correspondents had gone so far as to prepare a list of his Cabinet for publication.

A sleek black Ministerial car streaking across Paris to the Presidential palace in the early hours of the morning gave the first—and quite unexpected—intimation to waiting reporters that Mr Pflimlin had failed to get a new and workable French Government on its feet. While Mr Pflimlin’s Ministerial car with a tricolour flag on its bonnet was still parked in the yard of the Presidential palace, another car whisked through the gates bearing the former Socialist Finance Minister. Mr Christian Pineau, who had been summoned by telephone. Mr Pineau a few minutes later agreed to try to perform a mission in which Mr Pflimlin, as he later left the palace, curtly told reporters “it is indispensable that party divisions disapP In this sentence of Mr Pflimlin lay the key to his failure to achieve his ambition. A spokesman elaborating it said Mr Pflimlin had been unable to reconcile the opposing Radical factions who were fighting over the downfall of a fellow Radical, Mr Mendes-France, the last Prime Minister, whose government fell on February 5. Without their undivided support Mr Pflimlin’s task was impossible, the spokesman said. . Meanwhile the Prime Minister-desig-nate, Mr Pineau, even before the sun rose over Paris, was busy getting down to his difficult task of preparing to govern France.

PRONUNCIATION OF NAME

PARIS, February 13. The Prime Minister designate of France, Mr Pierre Pflimlin, has a surname which is widely regarded in France as a jawbreaker. Many people pronounce it roughly “Fleemlang.” A small minority favours “Fleemleen.** Mr Pflimlin himself insists that both syllables be pronounced in the French way as in “vin” —approximately “Flamlang.” He feels strongly about this and has been known to correct sharply anyone who gives his name what he regards as an un-French sound. His name means “little ripe plum.”