FRENCH POLITICS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 July 1945, Page 5

FRENCH POLITICS

HOME AND ABROAD. (X.Z.I’.A. Special Correspondent) (Rec 10 a.m.) LONDON, July 19. Little change has been noted here recently as regards Anglo-French relations. The French are apparently still hopeful that some form of direct negotiations will result following the removal of their special troops from the Levant and Syria, but apparently the Governments of these countries refuse direct negotiations with France until all French troops are withdrawn, certain common interests returned, and the French DelegateGeneral gives the status ol a Minister. Latterly France has been somewhat preoccupied with General de Gaulle’s plan for the referendum on the new constitution. This plan provides for an election in October and referendum. By a referendum the nation will be asked to say whether the Assembly about to be elected shall be a constituent Assembly. _ If the nation answers in the negative, France will return to the constitution of 1875, an Assembly of an elected Chamber of Deputies, and the Senate will also be elected. If the nation answers in the affirmative, the constituent Assembly will appoint a head of the Provisional Government, who will choose his Ministers, to be responsible to him alone. Besides drafting the constitution, the Assembly will have some control over the budget, over foreign treaties, and over structural changes. The constitution must be drafted in seven months and will then be submitted to the judgment of the nation in a second‘referendum. ~ All sections of the National Consultative Assembly have shown hostility to General de Gaulle’s plan. The Assembly’s Commission for State Reform. representing all parties, unanimously referred the Government's Bill back for further consideration. Franco, with Britain, is concerned in ending the unilateral action taken by Franco in Tangier in 1941. but discussions on this have been postponed by Russia’s desire to participate. It is thought likely that Mr. Churchill and Mr. Stalin will discuss this point at Potsdam. France is also engrossed in Algeria, where Moslem Nationalist risings in May resulted in disorder which even now is not completely ended. TRIAL OF PETAIN. LONDON, July 18. The French Public Prosecutor has announced that the trial of Marshal Petain will begin on Monday, and that he will press for the death Sentence. Marshal Petain is charged with communicating intelligence to the enemy, the maximum penalty for which is death under the French penal code. Both the prosecution and the defence will summon an imposing array of witnesses. The defence will call several important high ranking army officers. Among the witnesses to. be called .for the prosecution are four former Prime Ministers of France. Tjney are M. Leon Blum, M. Edouard Daladier, M. Edouard Herriott, and M. Paul Reynaud.

Observers renort that in spite of his 89 years, Marshal Petain is still in the best of health physically and that his mind is still active, except that he loses the power of concentration after a few hours of work. In view of this it has been decided that

the court will sit for only four hours each day. . _ LEBANON OIL REFINERIES. BEIRUT, Jply 18. The Government of Lebanon has signed-a 70-year agreement permitting the Socbny Oil Company of New York to build two refineries at Tripoli. Only Lebanese labour, with the exception of skilled technicians, will be employed.