M. Laval's Middle Course
. . Stimulated by . the . fact that the . Radical-Socialist Congress was about . to meet, and encouraged by • the results of the .Senatorial elections, which demonstrated no general dissatisfaction with the Government's policy, M. Laval, on Tuesday, .let it be known that the Govern- ment was preparing a Bill- designed to curb the lawless activities.(aS distinguished 'from: the legitimate activities) of., the Fascist Leagues, notably Col. de Roeque's Croix . de .Feu.• • It is never .easy to decide when to ignore bodies like , the Leagues '! and when to take action against them,. but it is clear .that for the. Government to countenance longer. the semi-military demonstrations by which the public order of Paris and other cities has repeatedly been jeopardised would be an open confession of weakness that would make an attempted coup d'etat an imminent probability. The effect of M. Laval's action will be to assuage. the rising dissatisfaction of the Left-wing section of the Government's supporters, whose 'discontents are further alleviated by the Government's reply to Britain . regarding mutual support under Article. XVI of the .Covenant.. So far as the Senate elections showed any change at all it was.towards the Left, and the Premier may now be .expected to resist with a little more resolution the temptation to . lean on the Id fight. .
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