FRANCE: The Audacious Man

Cheery and confident, riding high, France's chunky Premier Pierre Mendès-France took to the air last week to describe the happy era on which his nation and Western Germany were about to embark. "For years the Saar question has poisoned Franco-German relations," he told his fireside radio audience. "Now it is settled and we can go on to liquidate old differences . . . France and Germany need each other."

This kind of talk was quite a switch from the anti-German atmosphere of only two months ago. But, after all Mendès had driven a hard bargain over the Saar, so Frenchmen generally cheered his new accord (TIME, Nov. 1). "The day is marked by success. It inspires hope," wrote Paris' conservative Figaro. Even aged Paul Reynaud, one of the French Premier's bitterest rivals, gruffly conceded relief "that something has arisen from the ashes of EDC."

No one knew better than Mendès-France that the agreements reached between himself and Adenauer might still be undone. In Germany there were outcries against Adenauer's Saar concessions, but his Bundestag majority is still immense. In France, Mendès has become the most popular Premier in years, but he and his policies still have a fickle majority in the National Assembly. Last week Mendès wooed France's Socialists, whose 105 deputies have stayed out of every government in the past three years. Mendès had already won their support for his London agreement by rushing through an increase in pay for French workers. Now Mendès invited six Socialists to join his cabinet, offering them posts ranging from Defense Minister to Postal Minister. Characteristically, he ignored the party apparatus and picked Socialists of his own choosing. This miffed some of the Socialist regulars, and Party Leader Guy Mollet told Mendès that he would have to call a special conference to consider the matter. Mendès, the man of deadlines, replied that he would like to have an answer before leaving for the U.S. and Canada next week. "Why hurry?" Mollet asked blandly. "There's no point in our joining the government now at the risk of quitting it in a month."

Thus frustrated, though not rebuffed, Mendès turned his attention to his bitter enemies, the members of the Catholic M.R.P. party, who have not forgiven him for his part in EDC's death. To Robert Schuman, who as Foreign Minister first championed EDC, Mendès sent this message: "I have to see you. I'm sending a car." When 68-year-old Schuman showed up, Mendès offered him the job of ambassador to the U.S. The old man, who is far from enthusiastic about Mendès' substitute for EDC, does not want to be identified with it. He turned Mendès down cold. "No," he said candidly, "I'm too old to carry out other people's policies. I've spent my life doing things I didn't want to do. I became a lawyer despite myself, a deputy despite myself, a minister despite myself. I will not become an ambassador despite myself."

Still, it was an audacious try. One sure thing about France's Mendès is that there will be more audacious adventures to come.