THE TABLET August 17ih, 1957. VOL. 210. No. 6117

THE TABLET

Published as a Newspaper

A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER & REVIEW

Pro Ecclesia Dei, Pro Regina et Patria

FOUNDED IN 1840

AUGUST 17th, 1957

NINEPENCE

Protestant Minorities l The World Council of Churches’ Initiative The Importance of the Church in C h in a: The Congress in Peking French Financial Crisis : The Morning After. By John Dingle A. E. I. O. U. I Portrait o f Austria. By Christopher Hollis

Critics’ Columns : Notebook : Book Reviews : Letters : Chess

FRANCE UNAIDED

I^EW people thought that M. Bourges-Maunoury and his

Finance Minister, M. Felix Gaillard, would have the courage and authority to press ahead with the financial programme of reduction of public expenditure and domestic consumption which they have framed and pushed through against much Cabinet opposition. For this policy is a complete disavowal of the spendthrift “ expansionist ” course pursued for sixteen months by M. Ramadier and M. Guy Mollet, which drained the gold and dollar reserves, and brought serious warnings from the Bank of France and all former Finance Ministers and economic experts before the Mollet Government quietly slipped out of office — and the responsibilities for their policy. Yet the Bourges-Maunoury team took over only with the aid and co-operation of the Socialists, which was accorded after the Party had refused to support other candidates, like M. Pflimlin of the M.R.P., who, it was thought, would disavow M. Ramadier’s policy too spectacularly, whereas the very vulnerable and young Cabinet of M. Bourges-Maunoury would be more amenable to Socialist pressure within and outside the Cabinet.

In fact this calculation overlooked several important factors — which, admittedly, required considerabe courage on the part of the Premier and M. Gaillard for their exploitation. First of all, the Assembly is on holiday, so that Deputies do not need to feel responsible for any unpopularity which the new financial programme may involve. Secondly, the Socialists must continue to give support to a Government which continues to support M. Lacoste, the Socialist Resident Minister in Algeria. Again, the Socialists above all others are not anxious to precipitate a further Government crisis, which would either 'bring them the task of facing up to the consequences of M. Ramadier’s policy — or put a Government in power which henceforth can ask for a .dissolution of the Assembly and General Elections if defeated on a vote of confidence, now that the first eighteen months of the legislature are completed ; and in that Government the Socialists would almost certainly play a very subdued role if indeed they were represented at all.

Many people have pointed out the paradox that the Assembly should have voted the various Common Market Treaty policies just before the Government has, willy-nilly, introduced various measures restrictive of foreign trade. In fact that present Government is facing something like the same situation that M. Pinay faced in 1952 — but without American economic aid, which all previous Governments have enjoyed. There may be something in M. Ramadier’s contention that his “ expansionist ” policy in encouraging domestic consumption has placed French industry in a favourable position to compete in the new European M arket; but, as his opponents retort, the psychological climate in which this policy was pursued and which it encouraged is the very opposite from what will be required to meet foreign competition — and already French industrialists and consumers have too much of a traditionally protectionist outlook and reflexes (with political repercussions) to meet the new disbalance of economy and man-power in the twentieth century.

At any rate the Government has made a start on the longterm economic problems. The great question for all Governments is to “ last o u t ” till 1960 when France’s great new trump cards should be in evidence — the results of postwar increased natality and the beginnings of the economic exploitation of the Sahara. The latter question depends, of course, on preventing the “ internationalisation ” of the North African question. Already representatives of the Algerian F.L.N. have said in the course of a Scandinavian tour that the eventual “ Republic of Algeria ” will demand control of its share of the Sahara and whatever resources may he exploitable there. France must now turn to producing a proposal for a political settlement in Algeria which will counter Afro-Asian attempts at the next session of the United Nations to “ internationalise ” the conflict and its eventual settlement, under either the United Nations or NATO auspices ; and at the moment no body of French opinion appears willing to envisage either eventuality — least of all those elements in the French Press and public opinion who are most critical of French policy and seem most anxious for a solution on the lines of the MendesFrance settlement for Indo-China at Geneva in 1954. A Nightmare Becomes Reality

Much the most interesting appointment to the Council on Prices, Productivity and Incomes is that of Sir Dennis Robertson. First, and with respect to his colleagues, he is the only economist among them. Among English-speaking economists, he is one of the most witty and lucid, and if the writing of the reports were to be delegated to him the Council’s work would be intelligible even if it is not persuasive.

More interesting still—since everybody is wondering