Winning with Promises

The Paris pavements were icy that day, and bulky, baggy-eyed Rene Mayer, on his way to the National Assembly to plead support for a new government of France, slipped and staggered. Said he: "In my place, an ancient Roman would take it as an ill omen and go home. But modern courtesy forbids it. I believe they are waiting for me in this House." They were, but there too the ground was slippery.

Three men--a Socialist, a Gaullist and a Popular Republican--had each been asked to form a government, and failed. Now Radical Socialist Mayer (see box), sought a foothold by praising the economic achievements of the late Pinay government. The Pinay majority cheered. Then he turned to the Gaullists. the other group he hoped to win over in order to win office. The treaties binding the six-nation European Defense Community have been duly signed by France, said Mayer, but before ratification, his government would require 1) negotiation of the Saar question, 2) modification of certain clauses in the treaties by protocol, 3) closer association of Britain with EDC.

Firmer Assurances. Robert Schuman, who has defended European unification through ten governments, was angry. Mayer had gone too far. The Gaullists thought he had not gone far enough.

Shortly after midnight, Mayer returned to the rostrum with firmer assurances for the Gaullists. He promised there would be no division of France's armed forces. He also promised that he would not stake the existence of his government on a vote of confidence on the EDC issue. Both of these pledges were specific and circumscribed: internationalist Rene Mayer had not abandoned internationalism. But he had opened wide the gates for further changes. Voting began at 2:20 a.m., and less than an hour later gruff old Assembly President Edouard Herriot announced the result: 389 for Mayer, 205 against, 22 abstentions. It was one of the largest working majorities any recent French Premier has had.

Waiting Outside. His new cabinet includes 20 members of the previous Pinay cabinet, among them Defense Minister Rene Pleven. Biggest change was that of Georges Bidault for Robert Schuman as Foreign Minister. Both men are of the same party, the M.R.P. (Popular Republicans), but of very different character. A clandestine resistance leader, Bidault was De Gaulle's Foreign Minister in the Provisional government. Later he represented France at the San Francisco Conference, and vigorously pushed ratification of the agreements which are the basis of the present EDC negotiations. Premier in 1950, Vice Premier and Defense Minister in several governments, he is a popular parliamentarian, but a man of unpredictable judgment.

The one good omen in Mayer's achievement was the breaking down of the blank and sterile opposition of the Gaullists to all participation in government. But there were still no Gaullists in the cabinet. By threatening to withdraw their voting support at any time they plainly hoped to extract further concessions from Mayer. Looking over the new government, a Frenchman cracked: "It is Pinay without Pinay and De Gaulle without De Gaulle."

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