To a New Left

The new, British-born swing toward socialism in Europe had spread to France. Last week's cantonal (local) elections proved as much, produced other pointers for the all-important national elections late this month. Significant electoral straws:

P: France was still going left, but not so far left as many had expected.

P: The Communists did not lose ground. But they gained surprisingly little; they were definitely in the minority.

P: The great gainers were old Leon Blum's Socialists, in league with Foreign Minister Georges Bidault's youthful, lusty Mouvement Republicain Populaire (Socialist Christian movement).

Into the Socialist fold had come impressive numbers from the bourgeoisie. These most conservative of Frenchmen were fleeing the extremes of the Communist Left and of the ultrareactionary Right.

On national election day (Oct. 21), Frenchmen also will vote whether 1) to draft a new constitution, 2) to leave General de Gaulle in power in the interim. Some Frenchmen who oppose De Gaulle, whom the leftist Franc-Tireur recently cartooned as holding the "Apple of Discord" (see cut), are for a new constitution. In any case, if France votes as she did last week, General de Gaulle will remain at the head of the Government, supported by Bidault and Blum. Maurice Thorez' Communists and Edouard Herriot's Radical Socialists (who are neither radical nor socialist) will be in divided opposition.

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