Office of the Historian

851.00/10–2147: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in France
restricted
us urgent
Washington, October 21, 1947—7 p.m.

4001. Press reaction here on the whole sympathetic to de Gaulle’s “victory”1 and anti-communist aspect of vote invariably stressed. [Page 784] N.Y. Times calls it “a victory for the western world as opposed to Russian totalitarianism and its communist fifth columns”. Much concern reflected over effects of de Gaulle’s return on French production, possibility of labor unrest, etc. Allegation that U.S. Govt “not happy” over de Gaulle vote frequently appears. Some editorial speculation over effect of vote on Marshall plan.

Lovett
  1. On October 19 the Rassemblement du Peuple Français (RPF), headed by General de Gaulle, won 40 percent of the votes in nationwide municipal elections and displaced the Communist Party as the largest in France.↩