Schuman Succeeds In Forming Cabinet

Northern Advocate, 24 November 1947, Page 5

Schuman Succeeds In Forming Cabinet

SPLIT IN FRANCE

PARIS, Mon. (1 p.m.).—After consultations lasting until 4 a.m. on Sunday and resumed at 6.30 p.m., M. Robert Schuman has succeeded in forming a Cabinet

M. Schuman was given a vote of confidence by the Assembly on Saturday and agreed to try and form a Cabinet. He was Minister of Finance in M. Ramadier’s Cabinet, which

resigned on Thursday. * The main difficulties he had to overcome were: (1) The number of portfolios to be allotted to the Socialists. (2) The clash between the Socialists’ demand for planning and Right Wing demands for greater freedom from Government control of financial and economic affairs. M. Bidault, who has gone to London for the Foreign Ministers’ conference, remains Foreign Minister.

The political crisis persisted late tonight as M. Schuman struggled through stubborn bargaining with the political parties over the formation of iiis Government. He was believed to be concentrating on a stop-gap cabinet in an attempt to try to ease the troubled social conditions, leaving financial economic reconstruction for later. REYNAUD DECLINES

M. Reynaud, mentioned last week as likely Premier, and for whom M. Schumann planned a key position in the new Cabinet, handed him a letter notifying his virtual withdrawal. M. Reynaud was among those insisting on a policy of greater economic freedom.

Meanwhile, the Government put into operation a carefully-prepared security plan, originally drawn up to deal with the serious disturbances of the Communist uprising.

Steel-helmeted guards, in full battle kit, patrol strategic points throughout Paris. Regular Army troops stand, ready to deal with any trouble which might arise. UPRISING FEARED Fears are growing that extremists, may attempt an armed uprising as the strike chaos spreads, says the Daily _ Express Paris correspondent. The French General Staff conferred, all afternoon on measures to defend 1 the country against revolt. Troops in the provinces have been 1 sent to barracks around Paris. It is known that many army officers,, especially in the French zone of Germany. are fanaucar supporters of de Gaulle.

Reuters Paris correspondent says President Auriol urgently telephoned M. Schuman and said a Government must be formed tonight at all costs. It is understood that President Auriol’s unusual intervention was due to the increasing gravity of the labour situation and because it is essential that the French Foreign Minister at the Big Four conference in London tomorrow should have the backing of a properly constitut 'd Government. RAIL TRAFFIC STOPS

Hundreds of thousands of Paris workers will walk to work tomorrow morning.

Three-quarters of the city's railway traffic stopped stoday when railwaymen joined other workers who are on strike.

This development paralyses half France’s railways.

Lorry loads of Gardes Mobiles armed with tommy-guns entered Paris as M. Schuman was appealing to the Assembly for his vote of confidence.

This has caused an atmosphere of uneasiness, which is heightened by a report that four clandestine arms depots have been discovered in the past fortnight. The vote of the French Assembly in favour of M. Schuman’s forming a government was 412 for and 184 against.

In asking for a vote of confidence to enable him to act, M. Schuman said the over-riding consideration of saving the Republic must, dominate the Government’s work. That meant defending freedom and ending the political exploitation of WILL MAINTAIN ORDER After indicating that he favoured certain reforms in voting procedure within the trades union movement, M. Schuman insisted that his Government would maintain order.

All parties except the Communists cheered the speech. M. Duclos, Communist Party spokesman, said the Communists would vote against M. Schuman, whom he accused of representing a policy hostile to the working class. Before meeting the Assembly, M. Schuman, in the early hours of the morning, talked with President Auriol at the Presidential palace.

TEAR GAS STOLEN The police announced the theft of some concentrated tear gas. from a Paris laboratory last night. They also reported the arrest of two workers following an explosion at the strike-bound Renault motor car factory.

They allege that the arrested workei's were making bombs in the factory. It was reported that saboteurs cut a telephone wire connecting two military forts on the eastern side of Paris. The building workers’ strike which began in Paris on Friday is now general throughout France. Dockers are on strike in Paris and in other cities.