IN DEMOCRATIC FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 228, 20 June 1919, Page 7

IN DEMOCRATIC FRANCE

A STRANGE AUTOCRACY. The present French Cabinet will lior last very long—that is the prediction of those American correspondents of lonj residence in Trance, who know Frencn politics well (writes Mr. David Lauren:* to the Now York "Evening Post"). Bolshevism is not coming;'in France, buto sensible liberalism is bound to get con trol of the Government. In the meantime, the present French 'Administrate.--, being really fearful of Bolshevism, itaking what seems to many observers in Paris the wrong way to check it. Instead of allowing the people to recover possession' of their Government, autncratic powers given for the duration.of the war are tenaciously held. Like certain American Cabinet officials, these men forget that the war was supposed to safeguard democracy and not diraiii ish the working of the fundamental institutions.

Take the attitude of the .present French Government toward freedom of the Press, which is as good a test; ol democracy as can be afforded. Although declaring' that there is no censorship on outgoing dispatches, a strict censorship is maintained on everything printed 'ii France. Even newspapers published in the English language, like the American edition of the London "Daily Mail" or the Paris editions of the New Yort "Herald" and Chicago "Tribune," arc subject to censorship. All tho dispatches of American correspondents are read bv French censors. Assurances are given that they are not in any w;v deleted or delayed, but the French censors read them just the. same. It's like Imyii:.' some one over your shoulder all the tune. On one conspicuous occasion Premier Clemenceau had in his hand a copy of n dispatch sent by an American correspondent and discussed it with President Wiison before the message was permitted l-> go to America. How many more received that treatment can only bo conjectured. ' On tho ground that censorship is in effect simply to distinguish between military and political matter.-, the French justify their censorship. And the American delegation at the Peace Conference hasn't had tho gumption to make protest- or to order the American military censors at the Bourse in Parts to cease reading outgoing dispatches.