FRANCE: The Existers

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"The French will stay in North Africa as long as France exists. But does France exist?"

— Abd el Krim, as quoted by Author John Gunther.

When ex-Premier Mendès-France offered the Assembly a bold program of action, the Deputies at first found it refreshing. But on further consideration, they decided that they did not like Mendès' brand of boldness. "Adventurism," they called it, and dismissed Mendès. Premier Edgar Faure offered them the opposite—a policy of the political carom shot, the showdown avoided, the adroit maneuver, the delicate adjustment. Last week the Deputies of France suddenly discovered that they were no longer amused by Edgar's "cleverness" either. Since in France the Assembly's whim is sovereign, this petulance brought France's government to its knees.

Some, the enemies of change in North Africa, were delighted. "The condition of the government is deteriorating satisfactorily," crowed one Deputy. All week long, owlish Edgar Faure maneuvered desperately to keep his government in power. He appealed to Frenchmen's patriotic pride, charging that the North African troubles were part of an "international offensive" against France, defending France's walkout from the U.N. Assembly rather than accept debate on Algeria. "Although France is weakened at present, she remains strong enough to abandon nothing of her national dignity." he cried.

But the crucial issue was Morocco, and there, Faure's carom shots had brought the crisis on himself. Three months ago he had sent Gilbert Grandval to Morocco to devise a plan. Grandval did. But when diehard colonists objected, Faure reacted characteristically. He adopted the plan and fired the man who devised it.

Who Obeys Whom? Like any attempt at appeasement, it encouraged his enemies, alienated his supporters. His own Defense Minister dared to oppose him; generals defied his wishes. His new Resident General, the colonists' candidate, General Boyer de Latour, carried out Faure's orders only as he saw fit. Rather than institute the three-man regency council that Faure had proposed, De Latour let Sultan Moulay Ben Arafa delegate his powers to a cousin. "Whom does General de Latour obey—your government or Marshal Juin or [Defense Minister] Koenig?" demanded the Socialists.

As the Assembly came back from its summer recess last week, Faure's government seemed to have only hours to live. Even the most dedicated advocates of Faure's planned reforms were disgusted at Faure's dithering. Returning from a quick meeting with West Germany's Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Faure was greeted by aides bearing the bad news: Defense Minister Koenig and three other Gaullists had decided to withdraw from the Cabinet, and were demanding Faure's resignation in favor of a government of "national public salvation" to "reestablish French prestige throughout the world."