Hearts & Flowers

There are Frenchmen who will go to almost any lengths to prevent German rearmament under EDC. Much of this sentiment exists among the nationalist adherents of Charles de Gaulle. Last month the bitter general himself said that France "is still an ally of Russia in case of German menace," and last week another Gaullist cried that "America's attempts to push France into EDC are really pushing France into the arms of Russia."

Another prominent Frenchman who feels the same way is Edouard Daladier, the old appeaser of Munich, who belongs to the moderately right-wing Radical Socialists. The French Communists used to have no epithets harsh enough for Daladier ("gravedigger" and "traitor" were among the mildest), but L'Humanite, the Communist daily, is now respectfully calling him "Monsieur Daladier." Neither Daladier nor De Gaulle has any Communist leanings; for the purposes of the Communists, it is better that they do not.

Listening Ears. Communist broadcasts no longer refer to French politicians as "valets of American imperialism," or to French businessmen as "capitalist bloodsuckers." Pravda has recently been lauding the French people's "energy, diligence, love of country and liberty." Sergei Obraztsov, director of Moscow's Central Puppet Theater, has been in Paris gushing that he loved France because "we and you have lived through the same struggle against a common enemy."

This hearts & flowers campaign does not always fall on unlistening ears. While Foreign Minister Bidault and Premier Laniel were in Bermuda, another party of nine Frenchman, led by a Gaullist deputy named Pierre Lebon, was in Warsaw. Among them: ex-Premier Daladier and Jacques Soustelle, a youngish (41) anthropologist who is one of De Gaulle's right-hand men. They had come, at Polish Communist invitation and in a Polish Communist plane, to see for themselves the Oder-Neisse Line, which separates Poland and East Germany. Their visit, of course, called attention to the fact that Germans of all non-Communist parties hope to regain the territory taken from them at Potsdam and given to Poland (as a sop for Poland's own losses to Russia).

Hospitality Repaid. In Poland, the Daladier-Soustelle-Lebon party got a warm reception. For them, the Polish press had none but friendly words. Last week a Soviet-made twin-engine Ilyushin-12 set them down again at Paris' Le Bourget field. They were loaded with dirndled dolls, folklore records, candy and brief cases bulging with notes.

Glowed Daladier: "A new and stronger Poland is rising from the ruins . . . Everywhere, we witnessed an ardent, admirable patriotism, and also moving demonstrations of warm friendship for France. If war doesn't come before, Poland in ten years will be a great nation . . . She profoundly wants peace. But there is no doubt that if the Germans cross the Oder, there will be war."

No one could doubt but that Poland's hospitality to Monsieur Daladier had been amply repaid.

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