The Art of Politics

In Painter Pablo Picasso's big Left Bank garret studio last week an impressive group of French intellectuals/- met to hasten the overthrow of Dictator Francisco Franco.

Against the walls were stacked scores of the most controversial paintings in the world. The plotters sat in an uncubistic circle. As their breath congealed in the frigid studio air (which Picasso's tall, elegant stove failed to thaw), a multi-planed, reclining nude regarded them with an angular eye.

The "French Intellectuals' Committee to Help Spain'' had reconstituted itself right after France's liberation. It had arranged this meeting, one of whose purposes was to organize all anti-Franco Frenchmen. For a unity meeting, it was uncommonly harmonious. Painter Picasso's guests agreed that, at the moment, Dictator Franco's position was precarious. Spanish Republicans had fought to liberate France. Now the time had come to return the favor--somehow. It remained only to decide how.

The first decision was to form an exclusively French committee (not a joint one with the Spaniards). Then the committee would work with similar U.S. and British committees. But first it was necessary under French law to incorporate.

That decided, the meeting broke up, peeped at some of the recent Picassos, shook cold hands warmly, descended the painter's circular staircase to the Paris pavements sparkling under a four-inch fall of snow.

In Mexico City, meanwhile, a rump Republican Cortes met, quickly adjourned to meet another day for the purpose of setting up a Spanish Government in Exile.

/- Among them: Catholic Poet Pierre Emmanuel, Socialist Salomon Grumbach, Communist Maurice Magnien.

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