M. Blum's Anxieties The seas through which M. Blum is
steering his courageous course become more and more troubled. French Com- munism, flushed with recent success, is showing itself more reckless and more consistent than the mild and opportunist brand of Communism now practised in - Russia; and M. Thorez, openly out-Moseawing Moscow, threatens loudly to break the Popular Front on the issue of intervention in Spain—a point on which M.; Blum cannot, possibly yield. The less extreme Confederation Generale du Travail continues to give the Prime Minister a qualified support. Meanwhile military 'requirements impose a severe strain on the Freneh exchequer. A rearmament programnie was no doubt the right reply to Germally's- prolongation of the period of military service ; for a further 'prolongation of the service period in France 'is impracticable, as well ns less effective from the riciint of view of 'military efficiency ' than -Material rearmament. But the programme just 'approved by the Council of Ministers is estimated to cost 'L.56,000,000 during the coming financial year (and more than three times that amount in all) ; and the credit of £20,000,000 reported to have been 'granted to Poland will have' to come- out of the "French budget somewhere, even if most of it finds its way back into the pockets of French armament manufacturers. These issues—indeed every issue in French polities- at" the present time-•–continue • to ' be dominated -by' the-shadow of devaluation:
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