Communists Given Five Posts by de Gaulle

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 277, 23 November 1945, Page 5

Communists Given Five Posts by de Gaulle

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Thursday, 8.20 p.m. PARIS, Nov. 21. General de Gaulle has formed a coalition Government, giving the communists five Cabinet posts, including the newly created Ministry of Armaments. The Cabinet is as follows: President and Chief of Armies Charged with liefence: General de Gaulle; Minister for Armies under General de Gaulle: M. Arraand Michelet (M.R.P.); Minister of Armaments: M. Charles Tillon (Communist); Minister of Foreign Affairs: M. Georges Nidbault (M.R.P.); Minister of the Interior: M. Andrien Tixier (Socialist); Minister of National .Economy: M. Francois Billoux (Communist); Minister of Finance: M. Rene Pleven (Republican Socialist); Minister of Industrial Production: M. Marcel Paul (Communist); Minister of Agriculture and Food: M. Pierre Prigent (Socialist); Minister of Public Works and Transport: M. Jules Moch (Socialist).

Ministers of State without Portfolios: M. Vincent Auriol (Socialist); M. Francisque Gay (M.E.P.); M, Louis Jacquinot (Eightist); and M. Maurice Thorez (Communist); Minister of Justice: M. Pierre Tietgen (M.E.P.); Minister of Labour: M. Ambroise Croizat (communist); Minister of Education; M. Paul Giaccobt (Eadicai Socialist); Minister of Colonies: M. Jacques Sousteile (Eadicai Socialist); Minister of Posts and Telegraphs: M. Eugene Thomas (Socialist); Minister of Population (new ministry): M. Eobert Prigent (M.E.P.); Minister of Beconstruction; M. Paul Dautry (Independent); Minister of Information: M. Andre Malraux (Independent). “General de Gaulle has emerged stronger than ever from the crisis, which at one time seemed on the point of overwhelming him,’’ says the Daily Mail’s Paris correspondent. “The arrangement of the new Cabinet shows the Communists had to go more than halfway to settle the dispute with General de Gaulle over the allocation of posts, which provoked the crisis. The result in this sense is a success for him, the Communists failing to get any of the three key Ministries —Foreign Affairs, War and Interior.”

Tne Times’ Paris correspondent says the Ministry has the broadest possible basis. Every political shade in the Assembly is represented, ensuring a unanimous vote of confidence from the Assembly. The Times’ correspondent, commenting on the subdivision of the Defence Ministeries, says the arrangement evolved is not simple and suggests that General de Gaulle regards that peace is sure for some time to come. The correspondent points out that army, navy and air force as such hare no civilian head, hut retain their staffs and chief-of-staff, who are dependent on the two Finance Ministers, while General de Gaulle Is the arbiter in cases of doubt.

The correspondent, referring to the economic portfolios, says that, while the Ministry of National Economy is given to a Communist, M. Billoux, Finance remains under the direction of M. Plevin, one of the first men to join General de Gaulle. If the Ministry of National Economy has no greater powers than hitherto, “its importance won’t he great.” If its authority is widened, the Communists’ control over French economy may he real and considerable "within the limitations imposed hy Government policy and the short life of the Ministry.”