Third Class Power?

The historic bad blood that exists between Frenchmen and Germans is no more bitter than the hatred between French Socialists and French Royalists. Last week furious Editor Charles Maurras of the Royalist Action Franc,aise was led into a Paris court to answer charges that an editorial of his had incited Frenchmen to attack rich Socialist Leader Leon Blum, who is slated next week to become France's first Jewish Premier. Three months ago Editor Maurras was fined $6.50, sentenced to four months in jail on the grounds that a previous editorial had inspired a Royalist mob to give Leon Blum a cruel beating on a Paris street (TIME, Feb. 24 et seq.}. Last week Editor Maurras, who is stone deaf, rushed forward to the Judge's bench, began shouting his fears that Leon Blum would lead France into war against Italy. "If my threats of death have prevented war between France and Italy, may they be blessed!" he screamed, brushing back his hair and consulting a handful of notes. The presiding judge interrupted to re-mark that M. Maurras would have an opportunity for a political speech when his first sentence comes up for appeal this week. Without pausing for breath, deaf M. Maurras ran on: "Personally, I am for the sacred sanctions of the kitchen knife.* M. Blum is not the master, to send the people to the slaughterhouse." Unwilling to let this remark go unanswered, the judge stood up, leaned across the bench and shouted at M. Maurras: "M. Blum is in a difficult position. If he is for war, you say he deserves the kitchen knife. If he is against war, he will be accused of being a coward in giving way before your threats." Then the judge perfunctorily fined Editor Maurras $13, sentenced him to eight more months in jail. The hatred and fear roused in French Tories by the prospect of Socialist Leon Blum's Government last week served thrifty Paris socialites as an excuse to cancel big weddings and balls "to avoid provoking the Reds." Wealthy children in Paris' swank Pare Monceau marched around chanting derisively: "Blum! Blum! Blum!"

The tall, bespectacled Socialist Premier-designate last week told a U. S. radio audience : "The recent French elections . . . mean first a victory for the republican form of government, of democratic institutions and of freedom, both civil and personal, over all forms of autocracy, oligarchy and Fascism. ... I believe that the will of the French people is closely related to the will of the American people." Two days later M. Blum reviewed a Paris march-past of Communists and Socialists, joined the marchers in singing the Internationale, waving his arm to keep time.

M. Blum was most anxious to entice Radical Socialist (Conservative) Edouard Herriot into his Cabinet as Foreign Minister. Yet all his cajolery last week could not get a "Yes" out of the man the Socialists had helped to vote out of the Premiership in 1932 because he wanted to pay the War Debt to the U. S. M. Blum is not likely to become his own Foreign Minister as he believes the Premier should hold no Cabinet portfolio. Meantime M. Blum was busy promulgating the means by which he expects to guarantee France peace & power in Europe: a six-sided mutual assistance treaty between France, Britain, Russia, Rumania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, notably omitting Germany, Italy and Poland. Just how tough a job of statesmanship M. Blum had set himself was indicated last week by Chicago Daily News Correspondent Edgar Ansel Mowrer: "The chief problem confronting . . . Leon Blum, is whether France is to ... descend to the rank of a third-rate power. ... It is safe to say that never since the end of the Franco-Prussian war has Europe had less confidence in the ability of France to maintain its present position. As for the very dominant position taken naturally by France immediately after the War, there is no longer any thought of it. . . . Already Italian army officers in Ethiopia are treating the French and British officials with an indifference which would have been inconceivable a year ago."

*The weapon used by Charlotte Corday to murder Jean Paul Marat.

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