851.002/9–248: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
4566. Léon Blum tells me that the Socialists decided this morning not to participate in the Schuman government because they were unable to get from Schuman last night concrete assurances of what he means to do in regard to wages. “We cannot possibly be in the government if Force Ouvrière goes on strike” said he. “Furthermore a general strike precipitated by the non-Communists as well as the Communists would be catastrophic at this juncture”. “At the same time” he added “Force Ouvrière realizes as well as we do that merely increasing wages would not benefit the workmen. They have been confidently waiting for six months for the government to do something about lower prices. Prices instead of being lowered are much higher. What the Force Ouvrière favors is an overall plan calling for sacrifices but sacrifices to be shared in by all.”
I told Blum that while I understood what he was telling me, I deprecated that the Socialists had decided not to participate in the government and I ardently hoped they will support Schuman whether they are in the government or out of it. He assured me he also shared my point of view; that not only would he do his best with his own group but he felt confident that they would agree, even out of the government, to back the Schuman government. He remarked that he hoped Schuman would set up a homogeneous MRP government. He concluded: “I am extremely unhappy about this and I feel sure that our refusal to participate has made the MRP most unhappy too.”
I have spoken also to Guérin de Beaumont1 who expects Ministry will be formed late this evening or tonight.
- Chief of Press Services in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.↩