OCR
£ - page ten the great federalist ideal should not be endangered by the Atlantic Allusion ess Such absolutely extreme attitude, on certain specific points at least, is not entirely apporved by some of the old guard, that haa cooperated with mounier even before the War. Francois Goguel for example, commenting on Lapierre's and Ricoeur's statements, omphasized in a short note (#178, April 1951, p .634-5) his absolute unanimity with his "friends of Esprit" on the question of French neutrality. he expressed however his feeling that the denunciation of the Atlantic pact migit increase the danger of war, by fostering Kussian intzansigeance anc American isolationism. Last Novembest and December, "Esprit" studied the general attitude of Franch in political matters and concluded at what it called the "rottenning" of the public morale. In an editorial, headed *"Putrification", and signed "Esprit" (#184, November 1951, pp.593-5), the review rumpkkinge complained: eee Among our statesmen we search in vain for someone who, like Morrison would frankly declare that he prefers the Abadan humiliation to a war; and among our socialists we fait to discovei another Bevan ee. Putrification means dissolution, dissociation ee. Alain Berger, in "Europe and German Unity" (#185, December 1951, pps 852-858) continued the same thought: The great mass of the French people lacks interest in foreign polisy and concentrates on problems which it considers to be at . its levele The neutralist lists which last Spring had based their electoral campaign on international issues have cruelly experienced this indifference ves That "putrification" previously denounced by an editorial of Esprit has gained all the aspects of public life see Resignation is a crime esse And Berger to recall the main lines of a French policy of peace: refusa. of a German rearmament, even under the cover of a luropean Army; total revidon of the European armament policy; cessation of the indochinese War; relinquishment of the present Atlantic policy, which, by submittin Europe to the United States, distroyes ali chances for an independent, thus peaceful continent. Such strong general attitude on pacifism and neutrslism necessatrly expresses itself more specifically in strong and bitter attacks against all aspects of the Atlantic Pact ana the werman rearmament and in favor of an attitude of conscientious objections. Francis Jeanson - one of the central figures in "Esprit", that has entered the group like Domenach and Ricoeur immediately after the War writes under the heading™fBhe liberated Corean" (#175, January 1951, ppel22=131), in refering to the Atlantic Pact: If one has any wish of avoiding forced sovictization, the idea might occur - it has already appeared in France but has always vanished again - that there should be some other means, in‘France . for instance, to triumph over communism than the policy of gradually pushing the Communist Party outside the law and of preparing a war against soviet Russia. Éven supposing that the USSR should have the worst intentions ess would it really be the 66 .