CROIX DE FEU

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 16, 20 January 1936, Page 3

CROIX DE FEU

DEMANDS PROTECTION

As a result of the armed outbreak at Limoges, when an assembly of Croix de Feu members "defended" itself against a Leftist counter-demonstra-lion, a French' Cabinet crisis threatened, and it was avoided only by a narrow margin, says the Paris correspondent of the "New York Tinles."

After the demonstration, in which twenty-one Left demonstrators and gendarmes were wounded by revolver shots admittedly fired by Croix de Feu members, Colonel Casimir de la Rocque, their leader, sent to Premier Pierre Laval an accusatory open letter demanding adequate police protection for Croix de Feu meetings. The letter declared that unless the Government was able to protect meetings such as that held at Limoges from "attacks by revolutionaries," Colonel de la Rocque and his friends would have to "organise a legitimate defence."

Far from admitting that his nationalistic, veterans' organisation ,was "revolutionary," Colonel de la Rocque said in the letter that this term should be applied to his opponents. Summoning the Government to take steps against these "revolutionaries," he warned that "we expect from you the necessary measures."

"We," he asserted, "shall be obliged to take note that the Government of the French Republic has wilfully permitted the institution of a revolution-

ary state of affairs and that it accepts the inevitable consequences." For the Government this letter raised directly the question: When is a Government a Government? For the first time Colonel de la Rocque has openly tried to dictate to the Government in the name of the 500,000 followers he has enrolled under the banner of the Croix de Feu. _ . On the Left side of the Chamber of Deputies protest and commotion havej been violent. On the Right side there is nervousness, but the extreme Right Press has defended the Croix de Feu with a violence equal to that of the Opposition. IN A DILEMMA. For Edouard Herriot and his Radical Socialists the situation is almost impossible because they are anxious to prevent the overthrow of the Government on an issue such as this, for violence would almost inevitably follow. Instead, of forcing the issue, M. Herriot and-his party colleagues are using all possible' pressure on rf'emier Laval within , the ■ Cabinet to take a definite stand against the Croix de Feu. In this connection it is worth recalling that all revolvers held by private persons must be declared. So tense was the atmosphere in the lobbies of the Chamber that for a time it seemed possible that the Cabinet would not be able to reach an agreement, and that there would be resignations. Events, however, moved in favour of the Government. Delegates of Left parties found at one meeting that- they were' far from

being in agreement about anything except their opposition to Colonel de la Rocque's legions. The Radical Socialists protested, but yielded'to the argument that this was not the time nor was the issue good enough to provoke a Government crisis.

Even so, the Cabinet discussion was long and arduous, and it ended in what may be termed a characteristic Laval compromise: there would be an inquiry into the Limoges incident, and measures Would be considered to prevent another such occurrence.

In the Chamber lobbies it was said that the Premier, confronted with the outspoken letter of Colonel de la Rocque, had shown himself much firmer than he had been formerly for what is termed "the defence of Republican institutions" —that is to say, against the Croix de Feu. It was decided t/.t Parliament should reassemble'at / date by which, it is hoped, the^diff era ices between the Government and the Finance Commission of the Chamber will be somewhat cleared up, but it is not clear whether the Chamber will, want to debate finance or the Government's attitude towards the Croix de Feu. Both subjects are politically full of dynamite.