The French Effort
The evidence of French willingness to play a full part in the defence of Western Europe will not readily be sought in the debates of the National Assembly. But, despite the largely unfortunate experience of the post-war years, possible signs of effective leader- ship must still be sought there. So far the annual debates en the budget have revealed an understandably impatient desire on the part of M. Pleven to get the question of rearmament expenditure out of the way, rather more than the usual Communist skill in frustrating action and a large measure of caution on the part of the deputies, who have one eye always on the elections which are due to take place next year. All this is much too familiar, but the worst of it is that at this moment the signs of political weakness are being read with much head-shaking outside France, and they
fieleingt t i pir effects on the policies of other countries-
parficilfar e licy of the United States. The defence of the vekf Important extent on the French ground forces.
e. apparently reposing great faith in France, if their coritrfb ions to her rearmament are any guide, and the French, to judge from their attitude to the rearmament of Germany, are content to have it so. M. Pleven may possibly secure the requisite concession to stern reality by getting the special rearmament budget through by the end of the year, but it is a little hard on hiM that he has had to contend with a finance committee which has insisted on cutting down the amount of special defence expenditure from 355,000m. francs to 329,000m. and in taking an over-optimistic view of tax yields and possible economies on the civil side. The Communists have from time to time stuck a spoke in the wheel, and here again outside observers, particularly on the other side of the Atlantic, have been horrified at this demonstration of power by the enemy within the gates. Just how effective or ineffective the Government of France is going to be in the next few months is as dark a question as it has been at any time in the past eighty years, but it is now more necessary than ever for French politicians to realise that the eyes of the world are upon them.
