M. Blum's Victory The two days' debate in the Chamber
on the Blum Govern- ment's internal policy ended in a vote of confidence which gave M. Blum the largest majority he has ever had on such an occasion, of 38o votes to 199 ; it is convincing proof that, in Parliament, the Front Populaire is as firm and united as ever. But M. Blum's majority was won chiefly by his insistence that the " pause " in the Government's social programme will not be interrupted, and that he will not surrender to the demands of the Confederation Generale du Travail. The promise was sufficient to induce even those Radicals who have frequently deserted M. Blum to vote for him on this occasion. For the first time, however, a member of the Front Populaire, M. Bergen>, brought forward an amendment to the resolution of confidence, demanding a fundamental change in the social structure ; it was defeated with the help of the Communists, who declared that the Front Populaire programme does not demand such a change. It would be false to suppose that M. Blum's parliamentary triumph means that his difficulties are over, as they are caused primarily by the agitation outside Parlia- ment of the C.G.T., which now includes 5,000,000 workers ; it is noticeable that the strongest criticisms of M. Blum, as, for instance, on the question of the " freedom of labour," were inspired by alarm at the activities of the C.G.T.
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