851.5045/10–1348: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
5344. Queuille tells me that for the first time he feels today the strike situation has taken a turn for the better. He is much encouraged by the failure of the Communists with the railways. His agents report that there is extreme apathy among the miners and he hopes that they will be back at work next week. He feels however that the Communists will make a desperate effort to prevent a government success with the miners because if the government wins, their own prestige will take a dive. They have declared to the whole world that with these strikes they are on their way to taking over the government and to destroying the Marshall Plan, and if their own “clients” go back on them and go back to work there will be repercussions all over France.
He added: “My troubles are by no means over, but I repeat, today is the first day I can honestly say that I believe we are going to win”.