Paris, Apr. 5.
French political parties are sharply divided over the Government's new Finance Bill, the provisions of which include a capital levy to meet France's needs in national defence.
Defeat of the Blum Government over the measure is envisaged in certain circles which state that the Bill will be passed by the Chamber of Deputies but that there is not the least hope of the Senate's approval.
The Radical Social group approved the Bill last night by 288 votes to 22, with about 25 abstentions, after which the Finance Commission of the Chamber approved it by 25 votes to 18, with one abstention.
The Right wing of the Republican Federation unanimously condemned the proposals as a programme for a Marxist revolutionary dictatorship.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.