Attention to Doriot

Largely because the French people have never been able to take seriously a politician whose middle name they believe to be Casimir, the disorganized body of Right-minded Frenchmen with fascist leanings have found Colonel Franc,ois "Casimir" de la Rocque a weak reed to lean on. In recent months a much more potent fascist has appeared in the person of hulking, bull-voiced Jacques Doriot. A former mechanic and metalworker, son of a blacksmith, his political career has been irregular as his private life is blameless.

Fascist Doriot is a converted Communist, kicked out of the Party for refusing to take orders from Russia. Turned fascist, he attracted little attention from French Leftists during his first few months of speechmaking. They began to worry when they learned that he, for 16 years mayor of the normally Red suburb of St. Denis and a potent member of the Paris Municipal Council, was actually converting a number of St. Denis voters to fascism. A key point in the program of Doriot, who favors an alliance with Germany & Italy, is the union of pro-German and anti-Russian elements in France. The Leftists guessed the time had come to do something about M. Doriot when, three weeks aso, it became known that he had obtained control of La Liberte, the Paris daily long held by Conservative Andre Tardieu.

Control of a prominent French daily is a mark of success every French politician can understand. It means more than an obvious chance to spread propaganda; it means that the lucky politico has Backers.

The Leftist Government of Premier Blum, one year old this week, struck last week at rising Fascist Doriot. By edict of the Ministry of the Interior, he was removed from office as mayor of St. Denis, charged with corruption in the purchase of coal and the awarding of electrical contracts.

Roared Doriot: "The accusations against me are fantastic. ... It is fundamentally a political battle. I have never refused battle and I am going to fight!"

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