ST 22, 1989.
CY MARKS
defence.
TIME
com-
But, the exceptional talents of a general. cation, and can in no way be re is little doubt would not give the military element pared in this respect with Germany would, from the the temptation of assuming the essen- or Italy in the days immediately pre- become one of tials of power; similarly, following a ceding the establishment of Fascism would exclude prolonged and impoverishing conflict, in those countries. individual or by the eventuality of social movements There remains therefore only the -through which democratic institu- most obscure eventuality, the pro- tions might suffer profound changes longation for an indefinite period of --cannot be excluded. But these are the present international tension. In only extreme possibilities, and rather such a case, it is certain that it would theoretical ones even then, and they be extremely easy for the present are only mentioned in order to make Government to remain indefinitely in examination scrupulously com- power and to maintain democratic rules and habits in ever-deepening Let us suppose that, instead of cul- abeyance. If the international situa- minating in war, the present situa- tion has not cleared up by Nov. 30 it tion should become markedly and per- is difficult to see what would prevent manently easier. In such a case it M. Daladier at that time from asking may be held as certain that the for and obtaining the renewal of his chances of success of totalitarian ideo- "special powers." logies in France would become
solette: Bitor, Le ris, in the Science
jar.
#
our
plete.
once
# *
him
more almost non-existent. For it cannot be ignored that if M. Dala- then from avoiding popular control
There is also nothing to stop in more ways dier has obtained exceptional powers, as he has already avoided Parliamen- between Par- he did so by exploiting the gravity of tary control. It is difficult to see, too, rnment is indis- the international situation. It furn-
ished him with an extremely conven- Finance Minister, from continuing to what could stop M. Paul Reynaud, the ient argument for asking that the paradoxical
impose an anti-democratic fiscality by it work of the Government might be decree laws. d probably lead neither hindered nor retarded by Par- which now paralyze the
The patriotic motives Parliamentar- liamentary discussions.
opposition And if the would present employ- opposition, to counter these practices, threats from abroad remained as ser- continue to paralyze it if hot mean that has abstained from having recourse jous. The despotism which charac- success due to to the means which it would have terizes the actions of the present Gov- employed normally-campaigns of pu- ernment could therefore continue, be blic meetings and social and political accepted and become the rule, and it agitation-it is because it did not wish is possible that public opinion, gra- to give the impression abroad that dually becoming accustomed to an ex- the country was divided and thus in-
ceptional regime corresponding ΤΟ crease the temptation that the adver-
quite extraordinary circumstances, saries of France might have to range would end up by letting itself, go in- themselves either against France or against its allies.
sensibly, to indifference and passive acceptance.
Reserve Fleet King arriv
*
*
*
all to
In the economic realm the risk is But it is self-evident that were the all the more appreciable in that the international tension eased, the op- latest financial decree laws of M. ¡ position could make immediate use Paul Reynaud are obviously the an- of all the means at its disposal, and swer to preoccupations other than if the necessity of financial national those of last November. Through defence at all costs ceased to deter- those the Government was trying mine the working classes to bear above
restore "confidence" without protest the crushing burden among the middle classes by a re- of taxation, France would see again, turn to the more classical theses as it always has seen since 1871, the liberalism; more liberty was granted victory of the democratic forces, to enterprises by revising the limita- which, by elections and street mani- tions imposed upon them by the so- festations, have always succeeded in cial legislation of 1936,. In appear- breaking the retrograde action of a ance at least, therefore, the constraint conservative press and of vested fin- could pass as destined to re-establish ancial interests.
what the economist. terms a liberal
carry
This does not mean that French regime. democracy would not be faced by ser- But, obviously, the April decreus ious problems. The methods of Par- no longer have exclusively this aim. liamentary discussion in France, which The systematic taxation of consump- have existed for so long, are certain- tion gives the impression that the ly an anachronism to-day. They need Government has secretly tried to pre- revising. The question would also be judice industries producing articles raised as to whether purely political for consumption in order to assemblies are capable of intervening over the productive effort to factor- usefully and wisely in the social and ies useful to national defence. On economic realms which are so impor- the other hand, if the restrictions im- tant to-day. But it is difficult to see posed by the 1936 laws on the liberty why these problems should not be of employers when engaging labour solved by the ordinary democratic have been gradually abolished by the methods, just as the religious, scho- Daladier Government, the April de- lastic, and financial problems of the crees have established new one, par- last century-which seemed, when ticularly with regard to 'industries they arose, just as hard to answer as engaged in national defence. Thus the present social and economic dif- the new decrees increase the author- ficulties were solved. Recourse to ity of
the Executive in the social authoritarian measures would not and economic as well as in the poli- therefore appear inevitable; France is tical realms and tend to institute a a country with a strong political edu- beginning of "war economy," as such a state is described in totalitarian countries.
By George McManus
HELLO-DOCTOR-COME RIGHT OVER-1 THINK I'M GONNA DIE - I JUST. SWALLOWED SOME OF THE BABY'S MEDICINE-
*
These remarks
*
"
*
enable us to an- swer with a fair degree of acuracy the question of whether, the granting of full powers to the Daladier Gov- ernment is a stage on the way to the establishment of an authoritarian re-. gime in France. It can be said of the French people that, deeply individual- istic and "frondeurs," they will only tolerate a "strong" Government in the measure of a proportionatè dan- ger from the exterior. M. Daladler
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