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permanent means to material well-being and
not disaster. Moreover, the old Communist
peace.
resistance fighters have continued their para-
The Rightists had continued, however, to
military existence and add to the general po-
show remarkable strength and consistency.
litical tension. (The Rightists also have their
In the National Election of 1936 (first ballot),
own para-military organizations. See Military
they obtained 39.3 percent of the votes; in
section.)
1945 the Rightists and the MRP secured 39
To fix accurately a date on which the Com-
percent. That much of the MRP vote was es-
munist Party reached its maximum power is
sentially rightist is shown by the fact that in
impossible, but for purposes of chronology the
the municipal election of 1947 De Gaulle's
13 of March 1947 serves fairly well. On that
Rassemblement (RPF), going before the people
day, Maurice Thorez, Vice-Premier, engaged
for the first time, obtained nearly 32 percent
in a furious debate in an anteroom of the
of all votes, while the MRP received only 9
Chamber of Deputies. He had been accused of
percent. This substantial and constant body
deserting the French Army and France during
of rightist political opinion has found expres-
the war. To these charges he shouted furi-
sion in the past in various minor parties with
ously, "I was in Moscow where duty called
results that are misleading to observers who
me." Several versions of this retort exist but
do not recognize that the more conservative
all are essentially the same. It carried to the
elements have not diminished in proportion to
whole of France the unmistakable fact that
the whole electorate.
the French Communists were not nationalists,
(It is also significant as evidence of the sta-
and that the Party could scarcely serve as a
bility of this vote that De Gaulle did not receive
vehicle for the sentiments of duty, glory, and
open or implicit support from the US, while,
honor which De Gaulle, at the other end of
on the other hand, he was vigorously attacked
the scale, had consistently affirmed.
by the Communists. His supporters are
With the liberation of France by the Allied
deeply national in their views and sentiments,
Armies in September 1944, De Gaulle, acting
a circumstance no less important than the
under the French National Committee of Liber-
fact that they formed, in 1947 at least, the
ation, became Premier and President of the
largest body of political opinion in the coun-
Provisional Government. Under stipulations
try.)
agreed upon by the Committee in the course of
A similar consistency is found, moreover, in
its deliberations in Algiers in 1943, he was re-
the two districts which have been longest and
quired to surrender his powers at the first
most completely controlled by the Commu-
meeting of the Constituent Assembly. This
nist Party. In the so-called "Red Belt" of
body, chosen on 12 October 1945 in the first
Parisian suburbs, the Communists obtained 41
popular election held after Liberation, was
percent of the vote in 1936, and 42 percent in
charged with the task of writing a new Con-
1945; while in the predominantly rural depart-
stitution and submitting it for approval within
ment of Lot-et-Garonne, the figures for those
seven months.
years were 32.5 percent, and 33 percent. While
After De Gaulle's resignation in January
these latter figures should not be extrapolated,
1946, his place as President-Premier was taken
because of the relative newness of the Com-
for a period of four months by veteran Socialist
munist Party as contrasted with the rightist
Felix Gouin, then by Georges Bidault (MRP),
organizations, there is a hint that its follow-
and for a period of a month by (another vet-
ing also may become fairly stabilized like that
eran Socialist) Leon Blum. Finally, with the
of the Rightists.
adoption of a new Constitution, Vicent Auriol,
Whatever the outcome, it has been clearly
a Socialist politican of long parliamentary ex-
recognized that the political impact of the
perience, was elected first President of the
Communist Party is potentially very danger-
Fourth Republic by a joint session of the Na-
ous because of its revolutionary background
tional Assembly and the Council of the Re-
and program, and its capacity, through labor,
public on 16 January 1947. He is to serve for
to bring the nation to economic stringency if
seven years.
ECRET
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"ocrText": "8\nSECRET\npermanent means to material well-being and\nnot disaster. Moreover, the old Communist\npeace.\nresistance fighters have continued their para-\nThe Rightists had continued, however, to\nmilitary existence and add to the general po-\nshow remarkable strength and consistency.\nlitical tension. (The Rightists also have their\nIn the National Election of 1936 (first ballot),\nown para-military organizations. See Military\nthey obtained 39.3 percent of the votes; in\nsection.)\n1945 the Rightists and the MRP secured 39\nTo fix accurately a date on which the Com-\npercent. That much of the MRP vote was es-\nmunist Party reached its maximum power is\nsentially rightist is shown by the fact that in\nimpossible, but for purposes of chronology the\nthe municipal election of 1947 De Gaulle's\n13 of March 1947 serves fairly well. On that\nRassemblement (RPF), going before the people\nday, Maurice Thorez, Vice-Premier, engaged\nfor the first time, obtained nearly 32 percent\nin a furious debate in an anteroom of the\nof all votes, while the MRP received only 9\nChamber of Deputies. He had been accused of\npercent. This substantial and constant body\ndeserting the French Army and France during\nof rightist political opinion has found expres-\nthe war. To these charges he shouted furi-\nsion in the past in various minor parties with\nously, \"I was in Moscow where duty called\nresults that are misleading to observers who\nme.\" Several versions of this retort exist but\ndo not recognize that the more conservative\nall are essentially the same. It carried to the\nelements have not diminished in proportion to\nwhole of France the unmistakable fact that\nthe whole electorate.\nthe French Communists were not nationalists,\n(It is also significant as evidence of the sta-\nand that the Party could scarcely serve as a\nbility of this vote that De Gaulle did not receive\nvehicle for the sentiments of duty, glory, and\nopen or implicit support from the US, while,\nhonor which De Gaulle, at the other end of\non the other hand, he was vigorously attacked\nthe scale, had consistently affirmed.\nby the Communists. His supporters are\nWith the liberation of France by the Allied\ndeeply national in their views and sentiments,\nArmies in September 1944, De Gaulle, acting\na circumstance no less important than the\nunder the French National Committee of Liber-\nfact that they formed, in 1947 at least, the\nation, became Premier and President of the\nlargest body of political opinion in the coun-\nProvisional Government. Under stipulations\ntry.)\nagreed upon by the Committee in the course of\nA similar consistency is found, moreover, in\nits deliberations in Algiers in 1943, he was re-\nthe two districts which have been longest and\nquired to surrender his powers at the first\nmost completely controlled by the Commu-\nmeeting of the Constituent Assembly. This\nnist Party. In the so-called \"Red Belt\" of\nbody, chosen on 12 October 1945 in the first\nParisian suburbs, the Communists obtained 41\npopular election held after Liberation, was\npercent of the vote in 1936, and 42 percent in\ncharged with the task of writing a new Con-\n1945; while in the predominantly rural depart-\nstitution and submitting it for approval within\nment of Lot-et-Garonne, the figures for those\nseven months.\nyears were 32.5 percent, and 33 percent. While\nAfter De Gaulle's resignation in January\nthese latter figures should not be extrapolated,\n1946, his place as President-Premier was taken\nbecause of the relative newness of the Com-\nfor a period of four months by veteran Socialist\nmunist Party as contrasted with the rightist\nFelix Gouin, then by Georges Bidault (MRP),\norganizations, there is a hint that its follow-\nand for a period of a month by (another vet-\ning also may become fairly stabilized like that\neran Socialist) Leon Blum. Finally, with the\nof the Rightists.\nadoption of a new Constitution, Vicent Auriol,\nWhatever the outcome, it has been clearly\na Socialist politican of long parliamentary ex-\nrecognized that the political impact of the\nperience, was elected first President of the\nCommunist Party is potentially very danger-\nFourth Republic by a joint session of the Na-\nous because of its revolutionary background\ntional Assembly and the Council of the Re-\nand program, and its capacity, through labor,\npublic on 16 January 1947. He is to serve for\nto bring the nation to economic stringency if\nseven years.\nECRET"
}