The last few comparatively passive weeks in France seem to be heading for the well-known historical niche of "the lull before the storm." These weeks since the February riots have not appeased the populace on the specific issue of the day, the Stavisky burglary; and the turn of international affairs has convinced the vast indefinite body of patriots that France has quite noticeably lost prestige on the Continent. Papa, Doumergue's government is a stop-gap which can satisfy no one for very long: this poker-playing parliamentarian is plainly not cut out for the Strong Man which events both foreign and domestic foreshadow. The dizzy succession of cabinets has played into the hands of the fascist element, and the Royalists have contributed their little bit to the general unrest and dissatisfaction, though they are in a hopeless minority as far as independent action is concerned. It would not be surprising if the fascists won them over, as in Germany, by promises later easily annulled. The plight of the Left Wing is particularly acute in such a nationalistic country, of course, faced by a future which will without doubt exacerbate that fever; apparently they are arming for a real conflict, but they must know their chances are small.

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The deciding factor which has immeasurably aggravated the tension is the decline of French dominance over Europe. The defection of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Austria has really broken up an alignment which was the main bulwark of her "security." With the more or less open and certainly rapid rearming of Germany, and the upstart manoevering of Mussolini--which produced the Balkan pact--France finds herself in an unobtrusive backseat. The League has gone, the Treaty with it, Germany is on the road back, (with an obvious goal,) and internally France is weakened by uncertainly--the stage could not better be set for a fascist coup d'etat, the unification of the State, and the subsequent elimination of the "internationalist disturbers"; the socialists and communists. The last riots on the boulevards were the preliminaries to a real bout. The parties involved have had a taste of direct action; they will be anxious to rectify their tactical mistakes and recapture lost opportunities. And in the end, when France is psychologically ready to regain her place at the head of Europe, her attitude will be, barring the intervention of Providence, vastly more dangerous to the peace of the Continent than was even her semi-hysterical desire for Security.