FRANCE: Pour la Patrie

Because they are convinced that the Soviet Government, the Munitions Trust and other mysterious agglomerations pretty much dictate what is printed in Paris’ larger papers, many Frenchmen buy daily for a copper or two thrilling Rightist sheetlets which hurl political dirt, libel and “inside dope” with such abandon that their passionate editors give at least the impression of sincerity. Yelped one such editor last week: “Shoot down like dogs the 160 Senators who want to suppress the Fascist Leagues!” Screamed another: “I take the responsibility for killing Leon Blum [Socialist Party Leader] !”

Even for Paris excitement had mounted high on a Communist-Socialist tide of alarms that Fascist youngsters were going to attempt a coup d’état and hurl white-whiskered statesmen of the French Republic into the icy waters of the Seine (TIME, Dec. 9). Not at all anxious for such a ducking is bewhiskered old Radical Socialist Deputy Henri Guernut, considered a great specialist in French political dirt because he was Chairman of the Chamber’s Stavisky Committee. Accusingly last week Old Guernut shouted across the Chamber at Premier Pierre Laval: “The plotting of the Fascist Leagues is undeniable! Their object is to substitute for the Republic a Fascist regime. They themselves avow it and Colonel François de La Rocque announces as imminent a seizure of power by his Croix de Feu. Not one of the men who have been brought before the highest court of the land, during the last 50 years, for treason ever menaced the country so seriously as do the chiefs of the leagues!” If the Government is not aware of these facts,” concluded Old Guernut, “I will place it on trial for ignorance! If it does know them I will place it on trial for complaisance! (Applause). . . . In a civilized society, there must be only one army— that of the Nation! (tremendous applause). . . . Either our Government will change its methods or we will change the Government!” On the spot in which Pierre Laval now found himself only a great master of the ambiguous could save the day. The Auvergnat is precisely that. He was first elected to the Chamber as a rabid Socialist. In a witty vaudeville sketch now convulsing Paris the actor playing M. Laval says of those early days: “I was never a Socialist; only the people who voted for me were.” Today the Auvergnat is considered at heart a Fascist. For six months he has been ruling France by decrees which are those of a Dictator in every respect except the most important one. They were not imposed by force but issued under blanket authority voluntarily granted by the Chamber. A dictator and yet not a dictator, a fascist and yet not a fascist, a onetime socialist who was perhaps never really a socialist, Pierre Laval makes upon millions of Frenchmen the impression of a leader of prudence and common sense. After Deputy Guernut’s wildly applauded attack, the Premier strolled out of the Chamber with a composure infuriating to personal enemies who know it is almost impossible to empty his sleeve of tricks.

Three days passed. In the Chamber it was morning, with the Premier next door in the Quai d’Orsay supposedly tinkering with Ethiopia (see p. 20). Nobody suspected that a card was coming down the sleeve when dynamic Deputy Jean Ybarnegaray, pelota-playing Basque, prominent Fascist and considered the parliamentary spokesman for Colonel de La Rocque, began a fiery speech which Leftist Deputies sought to interrupt by whistling through their fingers and banging their desk tops. Imperceptibly the Chamber found itself first listening to the fiery Basque, then swept up in a great emotional surge pour la Patrie! “The whole trouble is that everybody believes everybody else is armed!” cried the Basque. “Is there anyone here who can wish that France should feel upon her face the breath of civil war?” (Cries of “No, no!”‘)

“I now speak officially for the 700,000 members of the Croix de Feu,” said Deputy Ybarnegaray amid a tense hush. “If all the armed Leagues are disarmed the problem of France is solved. Messieurs, we are ready! I propose that any Frenchmen found in the street carrying arms shall be severely punished and any foreigner guilty of this offense deported from France! What has the Left to say?”

With the whole Chamber thundering applause, Socialist Boss Leon Blum, sour and calculating, began an involved series of remarks on the great difference between the Socialist and the Fascist leagues. Gradually he became emotional in the general palpitating atmosphere of pour la Patrie and cried, ”I turn to M. Ybarnegaray and I tell him that we are ready to dissolve our organizations to the extent to which they are semi-military!”

At this the Basque, who previously had proposed disarmament but not dissolution of France’s political leagues, replied for the Croix de Feu, “In the sense in which our organizations can be called semimilitary, my friends and I are ready to dissolve !”

By this time tears of joy were welling in the eyes of French Republicans and Premier Laval had entered like a Cheshire cat as everyone turned upon the Communists. Were these Reds also pour la Patrie or were they just a scummy lot of un-French International Reds? Decisively bull-necked Communist Leader Maurice Thorez arose and bellowed, “The Communist Party associates itself with the declaration of M. Blum, insofar as our Communist self-defense group is concerned !”

This was all so beautiful, so touching that Premier Laval soon had a vote of confidence 351-10-219 and enthusiastic Paris police arrested a plumbing contractor from New Jersey who has lived in a Paris suburb for years and whose little flat bristled with rifles and machine guns.

Thoroughly Frenchified by now, the New Jersey plumbing contractor glibly explained. “I collect weapons and no doubt my arrest is the result of a jealousy of a rival collector.”

One more day, passed. Efforts to get the Chamber’s “Sacred Truce” into legal form set Deputies of all factions fighting like Kilkenny cats. Two prominent Fascists, James Rothschild and Paul de Cassagnac, resigned from the Croix de Feu denouncing Colonel de La Rocque as “not only incompetent but a traitor!” The Colonel, cutting anything but the figure of a resolute Dictator, neither backed up nor repudiated Basque Ybarnegaray, cryptically remarked, “Whatever happens, we shall keep our Croix de Fen insignia.” Its Chief of Shock Troops, Maurice Varin, blustered, “The laws now before Parliament change nothing!”

By this time the Chamber’s Leftist majority had wangled three bills purporting to disarm and dissolve all French leagues impartially into a form advantageous to Socialists and Communists, anathema to Fascists. The Senate was to have its crack at these bills next. Amid greater confusion than ever, but refreshed by the appearance of fresh proof that La Patrie is still dear to every son of France, the week closed with a fleeting grin on the lips of Pierre Laval.