Report from Paris
Root, Robert
Report from Paris Balance of Power in France Held by MRP By Robert Root New Leader's Roving European Correspondent THOUGH there was always to me an aura of the comic opeia around such remarks,...
...The Soviet Union still possesses the same contradictions that Russia has always possessed since its organization...
...Even today Kerensky cannot sew any reason why the Baltic Slates, the independence of which was recognized by all the democratic poweis, should desire any rights of self-government and of self-rule...
...To the enthusiasts of a Slavonic brotherhood, (he great enemy of the world is Germany, not Ihe Nazis, but the entire population which does not speak Sis Minic II leads lo n demand for Ihe re-Hlavizalion of a large part ef Germany and of northern Italy...
...The democratic world, which has gone through (he agonies of a war against the Nasis, wants earnestly a reconciliation with Russia-Soviet Union...
...It .is but another expression of the belief of the Communists since I'Ji'l and it holds out the definite assurance that a pro-Communist government, and only that, ran be friendly to the Soviet Union in their sense...
...Doubtless the general's personal prestige, reflected in the "oui-oui" constitutional vote, carried over to the great success of this new party...
...Report from Paris Balance of Power in France Held by MRP By Robert Root New Leader's Roving European Correspondent THOUGH there was always to me an aura of the comic opeia around such remarks, Frenchmen in the late summer often talked darkly, and epiite seriously, shoot the possibility of revolution...
...In fact, it is still more confused, for the international complications of Communism are still not faced clearly by people who are sick of the bloodshed of the last years...
...It is almost impossible to decide whether any art is determined by the belief in a monolithic Russian C«mmunist state or by a belief in Communism, the ideal expression of which is the Russian Soviet Republic or Ihe Soviet Union...
...Undoubtedly many of the MRP votes were cast by reactionaries...
...Both the Socialist and Communist positions are clear enough that the people know what sort of government to expect from them...
...Many consider its ptogram practically the same as the Socialist...
...The future is dark unless Ihe lielieveis in democracy give up the appeasement policy and stand fast on their position, cost ^hat it may...
...It emphasizes .the Slavic nature of (he Soviet Union and facilitates the demand for eastern Germany as pat-t ef that Slavonic territory visualized by Kollar in the Daughter ol Slain It allures and beckon- all non-Communist Slavs nifh the vision of a great and united Slav i...
...The emergence of the Com-men'sts, Socislisls and Popular Republican Movement (MRP) as almost equal powcis and the orderliness of the elections bss banished that fear...
...The result has been the creation of a dilemma which must be resolved if there is to be a hope of peare in the future...
...It lies today in the hands of the Soviet leaders to decide whether they will stress the bond of Communisnr as the main link in a future totalitarian world, or whether they will emphasize their Slavonic character and work for a Slavonir federation Which will allow the national Slavonic customs and habits to prevail, or whether they will definitely declare that the Slavonic-speaking peoples are to be welded into a solid group for the attainment of Communist erida in the entire world...
...It has never given a definite answer as to its course, and as a result the demooatie powers, seeking for a solution of the troubles of humanity, must think long, and hard before they submit blindly to a scheme, which apparently is the next step in the construction of a free and democratic world Democratic humanity can no more accept the ideal of international Com-munism'tied up with Slavonic linguistic imperialism than it could the ideal of anti-Communism lied to the chaiiot wheels of a German master race...
...It was willing to sign the Treaty pf Brest-Litovsk and give up Ukraine and the west, if only it ¦ cold find the opportunity to strengthen the rule of the Communist Party for its leaders with their dreams of a world revolution expected that sooner or later the proletarians of the world would come under the jurisdiction of the new world- organization centering in Moscow...
...The axis of the new government must go through the Socialist Party," said a I Miniiin ni Frenchman...
...Between the Communist l^eft and the Catholic Right of the MRP, the Socialists are the obvious moderators...
...Their ¦ ion aggression part with the Soviet Union gave it a free hand in eastern Europe...
...The equation in the Soviet mind of democracy and Communism and the willingness to denote all non-Communists as Fascists has confused many people...
...They're •lend now," more- than one told me in Fiance...
...All the parties, except the MRP, wjere critical of De Gaulle...
...It is Ihe only hope of peace and of eairying out those ideals and desires which all peace-loving, democratic peoples claim...
...tern...
...Yet at the same time they developed a fine technique for recognising as proper persons to govern only those individuals who were active Communists...
...With the German attack upon the Soviet Union, the way was open for another shift in the ever-changing kaleidoscope, but it added nothing essentially new...
...Finally, as the only significant party more moderate than the Communists and Socialists, the movement by the force of events will doubtless tend to take the more conservative position...
...The old ideas of a Slavonic brotherhood were pulled out and revamped in Wie Slavonic Congress of Moscow, and there started aii energetic propaganda to show that the community of (he Slavs against'the Germans demanded that all the Slavs come under Russian hegemony...
...Their attack upon the Soviet Union brought about a community of interests between the Soviet Union and the democratic forces which confused the thought of western Europe and America under the pressure of military necessity...
...The big question mark over the MRP is whether the liberals or conservatives will dominate it...
...One Socialist told me that the Com-ihunists were cooperative immediately win i liberation but now they are 1*1 lifi-.iol and intransigent...
...How much influence rightist politicians will tie able to reap in MRP as a result will I* answered in coming months...
...There was a generally tolerant admis* n ion, however, that France had liten through so much that it was no wonder many had turned to Communism for salvation...
...I heard again, as in August, that on thing which was luiiting the Communists was the disillusioned reports of French soldiers returning from captivity in the east...
...The problem of Communism stands sharply against the hope of a unity of the Slavs, and every act in regard to Poland and the other Slav countries is definitely involved in it...
...As a result, they succeeded step by step in reabsorbing- all those sections of Russia which had seceded, except those .states which by their access to the sea were able to obtain a sympathetic hearing from the rest of the world, as Finland and the Baltic States...
...The history of Ihe last twenty yeais siiowH the same dualism in Soviet policy as had existed earlier in the imperial regime...
...Unflinching honesty is the best policy, and unflinching honesty for democracy will bring out the undoubted democratic instincts of the Slav and the non-Slav and eliminate the evil of totalitarian Communism and inaugurate the better world that democratic humanity desires...
...For eight 01 nine years, the transcendent question about the Democratic Party in the USA has been whether the New Dealers or the Bourbon reactionaries would win...
...The universally execrated leaders of Nazi Germany, by their insane combination of Pan-German ideals, their doc-tiine of the master race and of opposition to Communism, commenced the second World War and successfully demoralized and destroyed Europe...
...They will inevitably have a certain stieugth from their balance-of-power position...
...At the moment, the liberals are in control, but they have a sort of "Solid South" to appease if they are going to win the Fame section of the voting public in another election...
...The attempt to set up a government for the Finnish Soviet Republic was but another example of the same technique...
...The absorption of the Baltic States,in 1940 was carried out with more skill and power than were the abortive at-temps in the early twenties*, but there was Rtill the use of the same fundamental subterfuge, that these states were really part of the Russian domain and that they needed to acquire proper development by being governed by good Communists trained in the Soviet sys...
...For this purpose they have ignored Ihe nun-Slavic Republics, exactly an they have stressed the While Russian and Ukrainian armies during the war...
...Yet the continuing haidibood of the COP elephant, in the USA, makes one wonder whether 40,000,000 Frenchmen may not also In- wrong...
...It stubbornly insisted upon the sanctity of all of Russian territory without regard to the ideals of self-determination, and long before it was finally overthrown, it was confronted with definite demands for separation which would have reduced Imperial Russia to the Great Russian ethnic territory...
...Hi introducing I kraine and While Hussia into the list of powers represented at San Francisco, the Soviet authorities were playing upon the world belief that the Soviet Union is Hussia...
...more widespread and more powerful than ever, a Pan-German idealist dared to dream of...
...The various conferences that have been held during the past years have no mora cleared up this dilemma than ilid all the gatherings of sovereigns ami diplomats during the nineteenth century...
...I ran into no evidence that the Catholic hieraichy has plans for the MRP as a "Catholic" party, but this factor remains a possible influence on its future course...
...It casta long shsdows over the surrounding territories in Ihe name of language and the Slavonic soul and spirit...
...It menaces all agreements that can lie made...
...The Soviet Government, in the interests of international Communism, ostensibly cared little for Russian territorial integrity...
...The leadership of the MRP is liberal Catholic...
...and it raises problems of Ihe greatest magnitude for Ihe entire world...
...The typical mood of Frenchmen surveying the election results is hopefulness that the three parties can find a working basis on a program which will bring economi" imnrovement soon...
...Blum's own explanation of the fact that the Socialist Party did not come out stronger was that its propaganda was weak...
...The third and unknown factor in the emerging coalition is the MRP...
...At limes Ihe realization that Ihe leading Communists were Russians has lent added weight to Russian control of the subordinate Soviet republics...
...Another complained to me, however, that only the Communists were rlearcut about what they wanted and that the Socialist program was indefinite This indicates some failure of the Socialists at salesmanship...
...At limes the Communist principles at the denial of any significant element in Ihe Union tended to encourage the different nationalities...
...The voters tended to write the lightish Radical-Socialists off in the way msny Americans have announced the end of the Republican Party after the last three or four presidential elections...
...Yet the situation is still unclear and shows no improvement over the situation of the nineteenth century...
...Slav-* ommiiiiisi Imperialism Government could not formulate any policy ©f honest federation...
...Yet the fulfillment of those desires must lest entirely upon the Soviet Union itself...
Vol. 28 • November 1945 • No. 48
