Moderation at Home

"Like Hamlet, we can say, 'The day is yet so young.'"* Thus General Charles de Gaulle, addressing the Consultative Assembly on "interior affairs," apologized to his people for the hard times which have followed liberation (see INTERNATIONAL). Of plans for France's economic future, he said:

"We intend to act in such a way that . . . individual merit and private initiative will remain as the basis of national activity. . . . We do not imagine our French economy of tomorrow without a 'free sector,' as large as possible. . . . [But] we declare that the State must hold the master switches.

"Yes, we declare that it is the role of the State to ensure the adequate exploitation of the great sources of energy--coal, electricity, oil--as well as of the chief means of transport by rail, sea and air. ... It is the State which must dispose of credit. . . ." (Applause from the Left.)

Then having stepped to the Left, the General sidestepped to Center: "Changes of structure . . . provisional nationalization, must be accepted or rejected by a duly elected Parliament. . . ." (Groans from the Left.)

"The Government considers as nefarious the exploitation of discontent. . . . The Government asks everyone to measure his words and actions. It would be bad to cultivate an atmosphere of doubt, criticism, grumbling ... to destroy the union that Government is trying its best to maintain. ..." (Cold silence from the Left.)

But on one problem--the basic problem for France--the General called ringingly for immediate revolution (see below).

*Hamlet said no such thing. General de Gaulle may have had Romeo's words in mind: "Is the day so young?"

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