FATE OF FRANCE

Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 7

FATE OF FRANCE

CHOICE BETWEEN DECLINE OR RENEWAL DE GAULLE REPLIES TO CRITICISM Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, March 2. Replying to ' the growing . wave of criticism of the French Government's internal policy, General de Gaulle told the National Consultative Assembly | that the Government aimed at giving France a powerful industry, doubling I the country's agricultural production, i and providing for an increase of pbpu- | latioii by stimulating the birth rate | and by immigration. . • " Unless the population problem is solved, France can only be a great light which is fading," he said. " The Government knows what France's choice will be between the gentle shadow of decline and the hard light of renewal. France to-day needs optimism, confidence,' and self-sacrifice. It is everybody's duty to discipline himself in words and acts." General de • Gaulle enumerated the main points of his programme as, first, that " the levels of control " of the national economy must be in the hands of the State, which must itself exploit the source' of energy—the main means of transport and communications. The State must also dispose of the country's credit. The time and order in which the measures were implemented would depend on circumstances, and in any event they were all temporary and subject to ratification by the nation's pro-perly-electedrepresentatives. Secondly, the directing authority in industry must be respected. Thirdly, the. Government was establishing a national economic council, on which " all concerned in the country's economic life can co-operate." General <le Gaulle added that while coal, electricity, gas, transport, communications, heavy industries, and credit should be' State controlled, as much scope as possible should be left to private and personal initiative. He announced that the French army comprised 1,200,000 men, but the majority of them .were still without the necessary equipment and arms. Referring to the internal political situation, General de . Gaujle emphasised that the Government " has restored the exercise of all liberties." French men and women would soon be voting for municipal and provincial representatives. It was up to. the men of the resistance movement who had brought France from the abyss now. to lead her to the heights, " not as a single party, but by appealing to all good Frenchmen of all parties, sections, and creeds."

He pointed out that France at present had only one-third of the coal she needed for her industries, and could make practically no use of her iron ore. France had two-thirds of the required wheat stocks and half the requisite number of cattle, no cotton, rubber, or copper, while the. number of locomotives and trucks available was a " mockery." General de Gaulle revealed that when he arrived in Paris on August 25 a plenipotentiary from Marshal Petain (»ave him a communication in which Marshal Retain proposed negotiations between himself and General de Gaulle in order to avoid civil war. " 1 showed him the door," said General de Gaulle, .and, amid applause, he added ironically, " Gentlemen, where is that civil war?" . , The speech generally was received with only moderate enthusiasm.