FRANCE: Black Coffee Cabinet

Through France's political revolving door, seven potential Premiers have whizzed in, whizzed out in the past six weeks. All were unable to form a cabinet. Last week one succeeded. The new Premier: tall (6 ft. 2 in.) taciturn René Pleven, who affects Homburg hats and an arctic reserve. He succeeded partly because all France was tired of revolving door politics.

All night long, cars filed into the courtyard of the Hôtel Matignon, official residence of French Premiers, to discharge French politicians arriving to talk cabinet posts with Pleven. When ex-Premier Queuille's sleek...

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