NEWS OF THE WEEK
SO dangerous has been the latest French crisis that it is still too early to say whether it will end with even the outward appear- ance of a recovery. Having abandoned their policy of infiltration, and having been steadily pushed away from the policy of strikes by the increasing resistance of many of the workers, the Communists are now undertaking a campaign of violence and sabotage. Quite apart from the exceptional security measures which are being taken against them it remains doubtful whether these moves will end in complete disruption of the Republic. Even if breakdown comes, historians will still find it difficult to separate the influence of the Communists from that of the political and economic mistakes of the Governments of the past two years. Nothing is settled yet. The strike goes on, though with less and less conviction. The return to work has been slow but uninterrupted, one by one the essential services are moving back to normal after an interruption which was never complete, many trade unionists having recognised the offers of bonuses by the Govern- ment as a genuine move to relieve their perfectly real distresses ; and —perhaps most important of all—the split in the C.G.T. between Communists and non-Communists, the latter led by M. Leon Jouhaux, one of the secretaries-general, is now openly acknow- ledged. In the Assembly, the drastic emergency measures proposed by M. Schuman progress steadily towards enactment despite an incredible campaign of obstruction and abuse pursued by the Com- munist deputies. It is, of course, obvious that no genuine Republican wants measures as repressive as these, and if disorder dies down before it is necessary to enforce them on a wide scale everyone will be pleased. But the Government's determination is manifest, and it is impossible to deny the fact that the behaviour of the Communists calls for the strongest measures. The campaign of strikes, inter- ference with the right to work, political disorder, and sabotage which has resulted in loss of life, are a threat to the Republic and to liberty itself. If these are the true colours of the French Communists, then they will not receive honour in any country in the world where the nature of freedom is still understood. But this is only the negative side of the crisis. The positive measures, political and economic, for lifting France out of increasing chaos have still to come, and the chances that they will be taken by M. Schuman's Government remain
