SUMMARY WITH EXCERPTSampaign speech by Gen. De Gaulle at Bayonne
General De Gaulle opened his election campaignpeech at Bayonne onn which be reiterated his earlier condemnations of Communism, spoke of the present situation in Europe,trong regime which would put theof France above those of the political
"Francee said, "eats less bread than she has ever eaten, has less gold than she has ever had, burns loss coal than she has ever burned, and furnishes less work than she has ever furnished since the beginning of the modern economic era.and Central Europe is cut off from the world by the Soviet system, which exploits its resources.Europe, where Britain is enfeebled, Italy ruined, and the German States deeply disorganised, is notosition to lend us any excopt reciprocal America, it is true, Is intact and prosperous, but is torn between the desire to help and inquietude as to the results of such
"Under the iron rod of the Soviot rdgimo we see two-thirds of Europe isolated in an enormous bloc of peoples and resources where little by little the liberty of men and the independence of nations is being suffocated. Nobody can discern what are today, and what will be tomorrow, the limits of the ambition of the leaders of this colossal enterprise. They themselves perhaps do not know, for dictatorship often becomes the plaything of those forces which it has used to establish itself. But what we can see only too well iseavy threat is taking shape for our country. This threat is aggravated by the action taken in our midstroup of separatists blindly devoted to this foreign domination. They cleverly exploit each of our difficulties to Increase thehoping that the irritation and despair of the nation will finally result in what they want totheir hold on the levers of power in the Republic and the subordination of France to the system of slavery of which they are the vanguard.
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"Fortunately for the liberty of the world, the United States intonds to actounterweight to the totalitarian anbitlons of the Soviet regime. Butis, nevertheless, exposed to errorsis the old Continent. Failing to findisunited Europe any light to guide it or anyto reassure it,. night be drawn Intoistake which would compromise theof the Westernnion necessary toequilibrium. The Americans seem at the moment inclined to oppose vital French interests ln the settlement of German problems. If they persist ln this course they risk sacrificing somethingto immediate convenience. Western Europe cannot organise itsolf exceptolidrance provided with what it needs to live. That is why everything concerning Prance's part in the control and distribution of the coal of the Ruhr moves the nation to its depths and commits tho future of the
"Prance can and must take part at the top level in the organisation of Western Europe, to which. is at this moment offering its help. There is no other way open to the Old World until, perhaps, one day the whole of Europe links up In freedom and the system of the United Nationsiving To rise again we must submit ourselvesong and hard national discipline. Wetateead who isegime in which there willealeal Parlla raent, and real Justice. Events are pressing on us and destiny does not wait."
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