Word: bidault
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...nearly two weeks-until the National Assembly dispersed for vacation-France's canny Foreign Minister Georges Bidault kept a document locked up in his desk. Then, one day last week, he took out the paper, got Premier Laniel to summon the Cabinet to consider it. It contained Britain's terms for "associating" with the proposed European Defense Community, an association which Paris demanded as one of three major preconditions to France's final decisions...
...ministers assembled with grumbles, angry about the short notice and the little time to study the terms. Bidault briskly got down to business: "We have received satisfaction on one of the three preconditions. The government must now engage itself on this point...
...rasp slipped into Georges Bidault's calm voice. "Indo-China is not one of the preconditions [to EDC approval]. If you want to construe it to be one, then you must replace me as a Foreign Minister...
...corner to consider whether to withdraw from the Laniel government, which would almost certainly bring it down. Corniglion-Molinier came back to the table and asked for a recess until 5 p.m. so that the matter might be discussed with party leaders. "Not even five minutes!" snapped Bidault. "This text must be signed today, because it must be presented to the House of Commons before it goes on holiday...
...Cabinet voted its mind, Bidault might well have been beaten, but in France it is not customary to take a vote in Cabinet meetings. Instead, Premier Laniel nodded to Bidault. Bidault left the room, telephoned France's representative to sign the formal agreements by which Great Britain will blend some of its military forces with the European Army while retaining full control over their use and disposition (see box}. That took care of Precondition...