Return of Confidence Seen In France

Chronicle (Levin), 15 April 1948, Page 5

Return of Confidence Seen In France

Receivod u eunesdav, 1 p.m. LONDON, April 14. A return of coniidence in France and 0[)tiniisni for the future is report ed by correspondents in France and observers recently visiting that country. • Tlie Ip'uerai outlook is stated to be altered entirely from what it was a vear or even six xnontlis ugo. Various reasons are given for this change. They include the niild winter and prospects of a good harvest, the building up of coai stocks, a record steel output in ilarch, an increase in | cousumer goods, the voting of Alafshall aiil, and a promising outlook for the tourist trade which anticipates 100, 000 Americans will spend holidays in France this summer. Though it is taken for granted that the Communist Party is by no means dormant yet, it is report ed that the Government think« that, econoinically, | the worst will be over by June and j that the Conimunist hulustrial oil'en sive will be bound to fail. "The trouble, '' says the Daily Tclegraph 's Paris correspondent, "would most likeiy be in the nationalj ised industries where the Government | has been renioviug Communists from I high posts. The people who talked of trouble in .March now suggest that sinister thjugs migl>t happen in Ala\ after the ltalian election. Tiiese suggest 1011s caniiot he ignored but thev don 't sound as convincing as they did last autumn." He adds: " Frenclinien continue to speculate whether General do Gaulle will retunl to power but they don't be lieve that the Gommunists have any hojie of ruling ihe country in the neai future. The teudency still continues aiuong niemliers uf the Government to treut de Gaullists and Comniunisfs on Ihe saiue footing. " ("onimenting on r'rance 's "new prestige, " Mr. George yioconibe, in the New York Ilerald-Tribune, says that, despite military weakness and political di\i>ious, AI. Bidault's diplomacy has been successful. He declares that the j French are now ihe leaders of a group uf Kuropean nations whieh depenil for ihcir independeni-e and jirosperity oii t 1m* survival of France'" and that aii nations in the. new Brussels alliance uiidcrstand tlie vital role France must play in war and peace. L'raising AI. Bidault who, he points out, has had longer continu6.u's.¥fexUi|idj eni-c oi' postwar )[iplomacy titahi ; aify j »t her Foreign Alinister witli the exc^- . lion oi Air. Aloiotov, he adds: "Hveif | i[ ilc Gaulle coines to power the forj cign j in 1 i i-y iniriated bv AI. Bidault will not be (tenounced. For the lirst timc for niany ve.irs France, like Britain, enjoys a certain continuity of 1 j'olicy in world all'airs, flexible but lirni. I liat is oue ot tlie reasons wliy, slie has regaineil her prestigc in Europo. "