Bodards & Bogeys

For valor against the black mobs of Addis Ababa, Premier Albert Sarraut's Cabinet last week voted to promote France's Minister to Ethiopia Paul Bodard from a Chevalier to a Commander of the Legion of Honor. Simultaneously Mme Bodard was made a Chevalier. These non-political honors went to the Bodards for corralling 2,000 frightened whites in the French legation in Addis Ababa.

Otherwise France devoted itself last week to a screaming case of jitters. Bogey Man No. 1 was Benito Mussolini who until last week France had always assumed would be "reasonable." Highly unreasonable to Paris sounded the Italian's speech proposing to take care of Ethiopia all by himself. Therefore French Foreign Minister Pierre Etienne Flandin made haste to post off to Rome the sharpest note he had yet sent Benito Mussolini.

This message severely reminded Italy of the 1906 treaty guaranteeing French rights in Ethiopia, notably the French railroad from Addis Ababa to Djibouti in French Somaliland.* Last week Italian soldiers were swarming all over this tidy French investment, giving orders to indignantly vociferous French engineers (see p. 23). Did Italy propose, M. Flandin asked, to maintain the "open door" in Ethiopia as France has done in French Morocco?

The Roman answer was a prompt and emphatic No. Il Duce promised to give France and Britain permission to cooperate in Ethiopia with him but not through an open door.

France's other bogey of the week was the new Chamber of Deputies which sits next month. The farthest Left France has ever gone, with 72 Communists and a Socialist-dominated majority, this was actually a very pale pink. Last week the French Press blazed with the boasts, threats and possible and probable intentions of just one man: Socialist Leader Leon Blum. Aside from France's money troubles (see p. 71), this rich old Jew last week made news at every breath.

An excruciating irony for M. Blum lay in the fact that a Socialist France had emerged at the precise moment of Fascist

Italy's conclusive victory in Ethiopia. British discouragement with the League of Nations and with Franco-British co operation last week (see p. 23) saddened M. Blum. In his Le Populaire he blew a valiant bugle blast of succor:

"This discouragement is natural, but we ardently wish that our English friends will succeed in overcoming it. The organization of peace and of the League of Nations is based on the fundamental condition that there is agreement between the British and French democracies. What could be more tragic than if Britain were to fail the great cause precisely at the moment when France is preparing to support it to the best of her ability?"

The best of France's ability, according to M. Blum, does not include Sanctions. Nevertheless harassed Premier Sarraut last week indicated that France would ask the League of Nations to put off a vote on continuing Sanctions until next month.

By then. M. Blum last week announced before an emergency congress of the Socialist Party, M. Blum will be Premier of France.

Then cried the first Jew ever slated to attain that office:

"Until now what credit I have had among you has been due to conciliation and persuasion. Today is different. In face of the present circumstances another kind of man must take the place of the man I have been. ... I have sought what has happened and am not afraid of my responsibility now. . . .

"Our objective will be to restore Europe's confidence in its own pacifism."

* Last year the French Government transferred 12% (2,500 shares) of its investment in the railroad to Italy (TIME, Jan. 21, 1935).

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.