FIRST BALLOT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22404, 28 April 1936, Page 11

FIRST BALLOT

FRENCH ELECTION SWING TO THE LEFT POSITION .OBSCURE BIG COMMUNIST VOTE MINISTERS RETURNED jjy Telczraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received April 27, 7.5 p.m.) PARIS. April 27 The first ballot in connection with the general election in France was taken yesterday in dull, threatening weather which kept many voters indoors until the middle of the morning. Then, in spite of rain, they crowded the voting booths. Suffragettes established unofficial polling booths with cardboard hat boxes" as ballot boxes into which men as well as women dropped sham voting papers. The numerous appeals to the electorate to vote owing to the seriousness of the international situation resulted in heavy polling everywhere. It is believed that the members of the Croix de Feu (Fiery .Cross) organisation were ordered to vote for Communists in some districts in order to reduce the Socialist and Radical representation, a 8 it is believed it will be easier to defeat a Communist than a Radical on tho second ballot next Sunday. This Will be essential where deputies did not secure an absolute majority yesterday, although a mere majority will be sufficient for the second ballot. Surprising Defeat of M. Herriot Second ballots will be necessary in 65 per cent of the constituencies owing to the number of candidates and to vote-splitting. The results at midnight indicated a swing to the Left, which will be emphasised in the second ballot when the Popular Front parties will pool their yotes. The Communists have strengthened their position in Paris and its suburbs, also in the mining areas and seaports.

/ Those elected so far include M. Flandin, Foreign Minister, and also the following Ministers: M. Mandel, • Telegraphs; M. Delbos, Justice; M. Bonriett, Commerce; M. Besse, Pensions; M. Frossard, , Labour; M. Deat, Air. Also elected are M. Daladier, a former Prime Minister, and M. Frot, formerly Minister of the Interior. M. Herriot, surprising to relate, was not elected for Lyons, of which he has been Mayor for a long period, but he is well placed for the second ballot. However, it is reported that he will not contest the second ballot. Communists' Striking Victories The Socialist leader M. Blum, succeeded at the first ballot. Whereas the main trend of the election cannot be decided before the second ballot, the Communists have made striking gains and are expected to have at least 40 seats in the new Chamber, compared with 20 in the last Parliament. The Communist leader, M. Thorez, has been elected for a Paris suburb by a majority of 19,000. There are other instances of Communists trebling and quadrupling their votes, largely at the expense of Socialists or RadicalSocialists. LEANINGS OF PARTIES " / SANCTIONS AGAINST ITALY LEFT SUPPORTS BRITAIN (Received April 27, 10.25 p.m.) PARIS, April 27 France now enters upon a delicate week of bargaining preceding the fina ballot in which there will be much negotiation on what candidates shall stand down. The fight, broadly speaking, is between the Conservative Nationalist Right, which is pro-Italian, and the Popular Front, a combination of the Left parties —Radicals, Socialists and Communists —tending in favour of the British attitude on sanctions toward Italy. External politics, however, were not the principal feature of the campaign. It is noteworthy that M. Reynaud, a protagonist of devaluation, did not succeed at the first ballot. It is generally agreed that the Communists' success was extraordinary. Ihe number of seats left to the second ballot were features of the first results. ( The quietness of the election was due largely to the Rhineland coup which, if it has not created national unity, at any rate has tended to modify party antagonisms, when all are united in the desire to defend the national interests.