851.00/5–746: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
[Received 11:36 p.m.]
2198. The Communist leadership takes the rejection of the constitution as a serious check to their plans. A high official of the Interior Ministry tells me in strictest confidence that the Politburo of the French Communist Party met after the result[s] of the referendum were known. He understands that the meeting decided that the [Page 447] referendum results cast very serious doubt on the possibility of success of the original Communist hope of obtaining a Communist-dominated Communist–Socialist absolute majority in the next elections. With this in mind it was decided that efforts must be concentrated on gaining seats for the Communists in the next Assembly and that this could best be effected by encouraging Left-wing Socialists to vote Communist in June.
According to my informant, Duclos is charged with endeavoring to arrange this operation and it is his present intention of doing so by getting the CGT to demand Communist–Socialist fusion “to defeat the forces of reaction”. He anticipates that the Socialist leadership will refuse and in this event non-Communist members of the CGT who favor fusion will be asked to join with their Communist comrades to form a Communist-controlled “workers bloc” which will vote the Communist ticket. The Communist[s] apparently believe that by such a manoeuvre they can substantially increase their representation in the next Assembly which would make them the largest single party by a considerable margin since should they succeed the Socialists would suffer from the defection of the Left-wing and the MRP is expected to lose a substantial number of votes to the Left-Center and Right coalitions.
My informant does not believe that the Communists have any intention of resorting to an armed uprising at this time. He said that such action would be premature and that the risk is too great. He believes they will concentrate their efforts pointing to the June elections, after which they will re-examine their tactics and strategy in the light of the June elections results and their own strength and possibilities. I agree with the main thesis that neither the internal or international situation at this moment favors or necessitates a Communist insurrection. On the contrary the Communists here have far too much to lose by having recourse to armed action when they believe the possibility still exists of improving their own position under the cloak of legality.
Sent Department, repeated London 305, Moscow 168, Frankfurt 33.