M. BLUM STANDS BY POPULARFRONT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 38, 1 March 1937, Page 7

M. BLUM STANDS BY POPULARFRONT

-Press Assn.— Copyright.*

Refuses to Form National Government C0NFIDENCE V0TED

(By Telegraph-

(Received 1 8.45 a.m.) PARIS, Feb. 28. The French Premier, M. Leon Blum, defied his eritics and refused to change his poliey and form a National Government. The Chamber passed a vote of conhdence in him by 361 to 209. The debate was one of the tensest smce M. Bium came into power. M. Flandin exhausted his resources . of invective in an attempt to leave ixothing damaging to the Government un- 1 said He declared: "The Republican regim j will ptixsh. lf the Government pexsists in its present policy it- wil] t'.av© io face sxmultaneously a treasury and «.urrency crisxs InHation will ue tne .nevifcabie exxd ' politjcai dictatorship.'' Pointmg an accusing tinger at M. Blum3 he added: "Although the City of London has a soft spot for you, two British banks refused to subscribe to the last loan for France," ! M. Blum retorted: "Rentes migbt ] rise and capital return if we formed 1 a national government. but I am loyal to my convictions. If I betrayed them ' the masses might forsake the Republic. How would you stop an explosion if the ( Popular Front parties failed to pull to- ' getherp This is not a threat but a \ prophecy of ill-omen. { "I ara taking the national stand- '' point," M. Blxun continued. "We} not the Popular Front or a mere party Gov- 1 ernment, have always acted correctly J towards the capitalists in national in- \ terests and have always spoken for the whole of France in foreign affairs. ' Everything would be useless if the national economy received fresh shocks. "Nothing can be submitted to the Chamber unless all the Popular Front parties are agreed on it. . If necessary, taritfs will be lowered and quotas enlarged to meet the demand of expanding industry."