Monday, Sep. 24, 1934
"Anarchy of Minds"
"To her Kings, who in 1,000 years made France!" is the stirring battle cry of the stanch French Royalist Party which sticks through thick & thin to "King Jean III," the handsomely bearded Orleans pretender living near Brussels in undisputed posses sion of his lesser title, Monseigneur le Duc de Guise (TIME, Feb. 13, 1933).
Last week Henri, Jean Ill's hitherto un obtrusive Dauphin, showed unexpectedly the stuff of which practical politicians are made. Dropping the aloof dignity which is the badge of most legitimate pretenders, France's Henri, who is barred by law from his native land, rose up in Genoa to make what amounted to a fiery campaign speech. Down from Paris to hear him had gone hundreds of Camelots du Roi ("King's Henchmen"), the pick of French aristocracy. No sluggards, they do such chores in Paris as distributing the Royalist news paper, L' Action Franc,aise, drill secretly for service under "King Jean."
Last week "Dauphin" Henri seized on the Stavisky and Prince scandals and the general rottenness now proved rampant among officials of the Third Republic.
"We seek to restore family honor and national honor!" cried Henri. "To restore to the machinery of Justice its independence! To organize national economy in such a way as to assure everyone control over property legitimately acquired!"
After dwelling on the clash of French parties in the Chamber and Senate where precarious majorities can only be obtained by coalition, Henri held up to France the objective of "Continuity and stability in Government, not only of one man but of a dynasty!" Only a revolution could restore the House of Orleans and Henri went so far as to predict bloodshed. "The present anarchy of minds," he cried, "will lead to civil war!"
Such talk France has not heard for a generation from the House of Guise, until recently too refined and well bred to take the political arena. Last week the King's Henchmen at Genoa were admittedly no menace, as yet, to the Government at Paris, but unrest is stirring deep today in France. The National Millers' Association has openly defied the Government's fixed minimum price for grain and is buying below this price in unpunished violation of the law. Last week silk manufacturers of Lyons denounced the Doumergue Government for "sacrificing the export trade of France to promote an impossible policy of agricultural protection." The Cabinet's failure to fulfill its pledge to reduce the cost of living and growing public distrust of the Government as the Stavisky scandal continues to stink, made many Frenchmen turn last week with pleasure if not with serious contemplation to the spirited campaign of young, untainted "Dauphin" Henri.
Cheered by the King's Henchmen, he concluded his Genoa speech thus: "Know, then, that you will have, in my father first, and later in myself, a defender prepared to make every personal sacrifice and inspired by the sole desire to consecrate himself utterly to the country, for its happiness, prosperity and greatness!"
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