Dec. 2.
When M, Daladier, the French Prime Minister, under the powers conferred upon him decreed amongst other things the suspen sion of the 40-hour week in France he was asking for trouble, It was one of the things which Labour had secured after a hard struggle, and it was only natural that its temporary abandonment would arouse resentment. That was because of no dis~ loyalty to France, but rather because there is always a deep suspicion in the ranks of Labour, in France as well as in other parts of the world, that national necessities are occasionally pleaded as the reason for sus~ pending important concessions to Labour the temporary qualities of which have at times been so prolonged as to become almost per~ manencies, In order to place France in a proper posture of defence M, Daladier believed that an extraordinary effort could justifiably be demanded from the whole nation, and so far as Labour was concerned he felt that an extension of the forty-hour week until national defence had been perfected was the best contribution which could be demanded of it, The General Confedera~ tion of Labour, the principal party, decided upon a general strike, But in the ranks of Labour itself there was no unanimity, and certain unions not only opposed such a step but gave instructions to their members to take no part in it, but continue to work. They based their action on the declared belief that the proposed strike was political and not industrial as the Confederation had claimed, and to that extent shared the view of M, Daladier himself, who all along con tended that the proposed general strike was political weapon levelled against his Ministry. If indeed it were political it constituted, in the circumstances an act of disloyalty to France and her own interests, and once the issue was so clearly put before the workers there could be very little doubt as to the outcome. Fortunately Frenchmen are for France first, last and all the time and the full realization of her imperative needs cleared, submerged individual desires.
Therein is the reason why the proposed strike failed in an issue between fidelity to the nation or to the union; the former won, M, Daladier while making adequate preparations to dear with any situation arising from a strike which might have proved mote successful, did not commit the folly of taking such action as might have sowed the seed of future bitterness, He did make sure that the essential services should be maintained, and that loyal workers should be protected if, they desired to continue with their work, but apart from that he refrained from taking the steps he could legally have taken, and the result is that there should be very Jittle bitterness over the very manifest reverse administered to the Confederation..'The situation might have been vastly different had there been unity amongst the ranks of French Labour on the matter, but it is quite clear that the Confederation was acting against the desires of a substantial section of Labour, even if it were not the majority. Had there been unanimity it is possible that M. Daladier might have been obliged to take measures which would have engendered that resent ment which should be absent as matters stand, though in the inner councils of the movement there will be no small degree of dismay at the lamentably poor showing which has resulted from the recalcitrant attitude it has adopted in the matter, It is to be supposed that M, Daladier's success will very considerably strengthen his position, and that he will be able to continue his government by decree until the end of the period which has been allowed him. Reason demands that should be given the full time necessary to indicate what results he is yoing to obtain, while there will always be the internal unbusiness which must arise from these continual crises which have a poor effect on public opinion at home as well as abroad, Fortunately, however, these domestic differences of the French do not always assume
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.