Editorial Note
Following the national elections, President Auriol on July 12 requested Maurice Petsche to form a government after outgoing Prime Minister Queuille had refused for reasons of health. Petsche [Page 409] was unable to gain sufficient support, and, thereafter, Auriol turned to a succession of leading political figures from the centrist “Third Force” parties including René Mayer, Bidault, Reynaud, and Guy Mollet, all of whom also failed to win sufficient backing from the Assembly. At last, on August 3, Auriol turned to Pleven who finally succeeded in forming a cabinet on August 11. The Embassy in France kept the Department fully informed of the French Cabinet crisis in telegrams 275 of July 13, 357 of July 17, 520 of July 25, 545 of July 25, 624 of July 28, 679 of July 31, 717 of August 1, 747 of August 3, 788 of August 3, 834 of August 6, 958 of August 10, and 974 of August 11. These telegrams are in files 751.02 and 751.13.