GLOOMY MOOD

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 20, 24 July 1945, Page 5

GLOOMY MOOD

THE FRENCH PEOPLE

BACKGROUND TO TRIAL

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) Rec. 9.3(f a.m. LONDON, July 23

! The eyes of Europe today are on Paris, where the trial of Petain has begun. There is tremendous interest throughout France as this old and formerly greatly respected man stands before a jury, accused not only of unnecessarily surrendering to the Germans in 1940 and subsequently pursuing a deliberate policy of collaboration with the Naizs, but also with having envisaged before the war France's defeat and with having planned a coup d'etat in 1940 while still a servant of the Third Republic. To gain some idea of what this means in the eyes of the average man and woman in France, it is as though General Eisenhower, in 25 years from now, could ever be accused of "selling out" America, for instance, to the Japanese, in order to become President, or as though Field-Marshal Montgomery were ever to be accused of parleying with the Germans in order to become Prime Minister. Both possibilities are unthinkable. But in effect that is the position in which Marshal Petain, who ranked as high in French esteem a quarter of a century ago as General Eisenhower and Field-Marshal Montgomery do in their own countries today, stands at present. HEAVY, BROODING MOMENT. This trial is a heavy, brooding moment for France, and thoroughly in keeping with the rather gloomy mood of the French people today and the sense of disillusionment which weighs heavily on the nation. The French people openly admit that the nation requires some kind of electric shock to stir it into life again. Men and women who fought with the Maquis are qujte frank in admitting that the idealism which was the central flame of their resistance against the Germans during the war seems at least temporarily to have been lost. The people as a whole seem tired and unresponsive. " France lacks adequate rations, and urgently needs raw materials, and though the transport system has been greatly improved there is still much i to be done. The people are frankly dreading next winter, for while the crops are fair, there has been a harvest failure in North Africa, which means that corn must eventually be exported there. Coal production is low, and as far as getting raw materials into the country is concerned, French ships are still in the Allied pool, where presumably they will remain until the end of the war against Japan. It is realised and admitted that the average Frenchman has become so used to avoiding work under German rule that it has now become a habit which it is found difficult to change. Over all, the position is aggravated by the complicated political position and the fact that until next spring France will not have a settled Government, due to the fact that the details of the new Constitution have to be decided!;. The general desire is for a new kind of Constitution, but whether it will be a modification of that of 1875, comprising two Assemblies, or entirely new and consisting of one Assembly only, is undecided. Elections will not be held until October, and. several months will elapse before the new type of Constitution will be evolved. LEADERSHIP ISSUE. General de Gaulle remains .the only political figure of. consequence in France, and although he is much criticised and although some believe he should eschew politics, it is generally agreed that there is a big gap between him and the next possible

leaders, such as M. Bidault. It is said that General de Gaulle is of no particular party, though perhaps he is closest in thought to the Christian Socialist Party, of which M. Bidault is the leader. M. Thorez is Communist leader, but while his party is emphasising the theme of France's renaissance, some of the views of the party leaders, are not acceptable to the rank and file. The Radicals are led by M. Herriot and the Socialists by Mm. Blum, Auriol, and Paul Boncour, but it is thought that men like Mm. Herriot and Blum are now dated and therefore lack prestige. How far France has moved to the left is stated to be difficult to estimate. It is said that the results of the municipal elections give no clear indication, since not only all the results have not been tabulated, but no candidates have presented any particular programme to the electors. It is generally thought that France today is in one of her most difficult periods, and what is being watched for closely is whether the underlying desire for her renaissance will be forceful enough to throw off the present dull, heavy mood. One indication of this desire is the pride of the people in the new French army and the scenes which accompanied the celebration of July 14 (Bastille Day). The general overriding wish is to see France strong again, with a firm international prestige. POINTS OF CYNICISM. It is this very spirit which broods so fiercely over such incidents as those with the British in the Levant and Syria and with the Americans at Strasbourg, while many resent the fact that France was not invited to attend the Potsdam Conference. There is no doubt that the average French person is convinced that Britain desires to oust France from the Levant and Syiua while she has not the slightest intention of relaxing her own stronglyentrenched position in the Middle East. It has made them very cynical. Another thing that France is watching closely is the subject of reparations from Germany and the Allied handling of German industries. Naturally they want to see their own industries re-established before those in Germany. Some even suggest that the international cartel system may favour getting Gei-many going again before countries like France. Again, some French people are very cynical about the interest of other Powers in Europe, averring that America has practically bought out Italy, while Britain is strongly entrenched in Belgium. Whether or not this is so, it is one of the reasons why General de Gaulle is admired for "standing up" to America and Britain, refusing to be dominated and insisting on complete independence of action.