CROIX DE FEU

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 8 February 1936, Page 2

CROIX DE FEU

CLASH WITH FASCISTS SEVERAL DEMONSTRATORS WOUNDED France's domestic political crockery was rattled at Limoges, worldfamous centre of the porcelain industry, about 250 miles south-west of * Paris, when there was a clash between Croix de Feu members of the-Fascist organisation led by Colonel Francois de la Roeque, and Leftist Republicans, who made a. counter-demonstration against the demonstrators. Twenty-one Left demonstrators and gendarmes were wounded by shots fired admittedly by the adherents of Colonel de la Roeque on that tumultuous Saturday night of lfitli November. Colonel da la Roeque protested, in an open letter to Premier Laval, and demanded « police protection for Croix de Feu meetings.

( The letter declared that unless the Government was able to protect meetings such as that held at Limoges from “attacks by revolutionaries,” Colonel de la Roeque and his friends would have to “organise a, legitimate defence.”

The one organisation considered most dangerous to the Third Republic is the Croix de Feu founded by Colonel de la Roeque in 1927. Originally it was an exclusive war veteran organisation out it has evolved into a mags move? ment numbering a membership estimated at from 60.000 to 250,000 members.

Colonel de la Roeque has been describ- ®, d as , tke nearest thing extant to a Trench Hitler.”

He has 24 years pf military service to his credit. He is a Commander of tne Legion of Honour, has eleven military citations from the war and colonial engagements in Africa where he acted as soldier and administrator. He 1? a graduate of Saint Cvr, France’s West Point.”

Earnest, eloquent, and convincing, he is an impressive figure on the platform witli his high forehead, small penerating deep-set eyes, thinning hair. Roman nose, and thin, tight lips. He is conservative in dress, and lives simply at Versaihes with his wife and five children. His determination in organising the Croix de Feu, eight years ago, was that France has been laid low by politicians and that it was the duty of ex-soldiers to. save the country. In the event of trouble wrote a contributor ,ito the “Evening Standard.” London, he would undoubtedly be “the master of the Paris ‘street.* ” Although he is now forty-eight years of age, “he lpoks rather like the well-known picture of Napoleon on the Bridge of Areola.” Referring to the political likeness of Colonel de la Roeque to -Reicligleader Hitler, John Elliott wrote in the “New York Herald-Tribune”:

French Republicans do not intend to be caught napping as the German Liberals were, who let slip a great opportunity when they failed to deport Adolf Hitler as an undesirable alien in the days when the Nazi leader was merely the head of a contemptible body of extremists.”

Among comment to the “Literary Digest’ ’ from Europe . came the remark of “The Times,” London, that Premier Laval is in “a serious predicament” because :

“If he takes strong action against the Croix de Feu, he wilt alienate his friends oil the Right ; if he refuses, he will offend his Radical Socialist supporters, without whom the Government cannot survive.”.

In the view of the “Morning. Post” London, Premier Laval is “forced to hunt with the hounds and run with the hare,” for the reason that-: “Without the Radical Socialists he cannot get his decrees passed, but as a price for votes the Radical Socialists demand stern measures against the Lea-

gue of Fascists, He lias one trump card in that no one wants to take his place.” Meanwhile, Premier Laval took the mind of the French people off the situation at home by having France’s Ambassador to Germany, Andre FrancoisPoucet, call upon Chancellor Hitler, with whom the Ambassador had a two-hour conference.

As viewed by the Berliner “Tageblatt” the French Ambassador’s visit with Chancellor Hitler was “merely a link in the chain of efforts towards a peaceful understanding, as no territorial question exists between Germany and France. Since the reattachment of the Saar by Germany, one of the greatest obstacles to understanding has been removed.