Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, JUNE 22nd., 1937. FRENCH CRISIS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 June 1937, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, JUNE 22nd., 1937. FRENCH CRISIS.

POPULAR Fronts and Left Wings are having a bad time of late. Stalin’s bloodthirsty purge in Russia demonstrates the weakness of “ comradeship ” under stress, and will not encourage the spread of Communism. In Spain, the Fascists have secured notable I successes. the fall of Bilbao enabling them to pay more attention to Madrid. Finally, in France, ’i M. Plum has. at last, succumbed, to his Right opponents, his resignation following the rejection by the Senate of the Government’s! drastic proposals to control national finance. M. Blum put up a good defence/, on what was throughout a “sticky wicket.” and credit is due to him for his dogged innings, under such unfavourable circumstances. French Premiers are of the easy come and easy go variety, and the French do not lake Cabinet reverses so seriously as would

11m British. The last general elections gave a majority in the I)e--'.1'ifies to the Popular Front, composed of Radicals and Socialists, with the Communists as allies.

The Senate has -no Communists and not so many of the Left, thus, M. Blum has had more or less opposition from the Senate, throughout his term as Premier. Challenges have been ‘exchanged before, and the Premier’s resigna? lion earlier was freely predicted, but he managed to secure the.

necessary support to pass his bills. The Bank of France and prominent capitalists have not liked his policy, which apart from greater Government control of finance, introduced the 40 hour week in most industries, increased wage-rates, and in other ways improved, nominally, at least, the lot of'the workers. The Communists declared that the Cabinet was not progressing fast enough in this direction, but Al. Blum defied these friends as he did his foes. French finances give cause for anxiety. The franc value is shaky, gold has been exported, and the Budget deficit was serious. The new Premier will have no easy task, and will be unable to change much the policy of his immediate predecessor. Any attempt to deprive the workers of recentlygained privileges would lead to serious trouble, and, although economies in administration expenditure are desirable, the civil service will not agree to cuts in salaries. The foreign policy is unlikely to be changed, and it is on an appeal for national unity in face of aggressive neighbours, that the new Premier will have to depend. French influence among Continental nations is less wellestablished. Despite French loans to Poland and Roumania, these countries are reported to be flirting with Germany. Balkan States are generally less pro-French than formerly. Developments in Russia cannot be re-assuring to France as to the. value of the FrancoSoviet Pact. Germany’s wooing of Britain, too,'must cause some misgivings. At home and abroad, therefore, French interests need strong leadership and , whoever is Al. Blum’s successor is not to be envied.