France: Mollet's Threat

Socialist Guy Mollet, once Premier of France for 16 months, a record for the Fourth Republic, was one of the key men in paving the way for General de Gaulle's peaceful return to power. But in the elections that followed, his Socialists--a party of fonctionnaires rather than laborers, which held more seats in the National Assembly than any party except the Communists--were roundly beaten by a public dissatisfied with all the old parties.

Last week, faced by dissension from those who wanted a more intensive leftism, Mollet told a party congress: "If tomorrow the party wishes to form other policies, for example, a foreign policy called neutralism, or domestically, to travel part of the road with the Communists, then it will be someone beside myself who will make these policies.

"If we are ready to make concessions at the slightest menace, there will be a war within 20 years."

In France, as in Britain and West Germany, responsible Socialist leadership thus rebuffed all attempts to shatter the Western alliance. But the Socialist parties were still parties in search of a clue for winning office.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.