FRANCE THE - BROTHERHOOD THE GRANDEUR THAT IS GAULLISM HAS ALWAYS DEFIED 
SIMPLE EXPLANATION, FOR IT OFTEN SEEMS THAT CHARLES DE GAULLE, LIKE 
THE CABOTS, SPEAKS ONLY TO GOD . IN A WITTY NEW 
BOOK, THE GAULLISTS RITUAL AND DIRECTORY, FRENCH JOURNALIST PIERRE VIANSSON-PONTE, CHIEF 
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR PRESTIGIOUS LE MONDE, POKES SKILLFULLY AT THE INNER 
GAULLIST MYSTERIES . THE MOVEMENT, VIANSSONPONTE CONCLUDES, " CONSISTS NEITHER OF 
A DOCTRINE NOR OF AN ORGANIZATION, BUT SIMPLY OF AN EXPERIENCE 
LIVED THROUGH . " THE HIGH MASS, SUNG . THE MOST 
TELLING EXPERIENCE FOR GAULLISTS IS TO BE IN DE GAULLE'S PRESENCE, 
WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY AN INFLEXIBLE LITURGY . GUARDIAN OF THE 
" CHRISTIAN MORALITY AND SOCIAL PROPRIETY " OF THE RITUAL IS 
MME . DE GAULLE . " SHE CHECKS THE NECKLINES OF 
THE MINISTERS' WIVES, " SAYS AUTHOR VIANSSONPONTE, " AND HAS AT 
VARIOUS TIMES, IT IS SAID, SUCCEEDED IN KEEPING OUT OF THE 
GOVERNMENT PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF MARITAL INFIDELITY . " AT LUNCHEON AT 
DE GAULLE'S COUNTRY HOME IN COLOMBEY-LES-DEUXEGLISES, " MME . DE GAULLE 
ASKS ABOUT THE ROAD, TALKS ABOUT THE WEATHER,THE GENERAL . THE 
GENERAL ASKS ABOUT THE ROAD,TALKS ABOUT THE WEATHER, HIMSELF . " 
WITH ITS PLANTED QUESTIONS AND PREPARED ANSWERS, A DE GAULLE PRESS 
CONFERENCE IS LIKE " A HIGH MASS, SUNG . " THE 
RESIGNATION OF A GAULLIST WHO HAS OUTLIVED HIS USEFULNESS IS " 
AN ORDER ; IT IS NOT DISPUTED . " WHAT IS 
REMARKABLE ABOUT ALL THIS, SAYS VIANSSON-PONTE, IS THAT ALTHOUGH DE GAULLE 
HAS ABSOLUTE POWER, HE DOES NOT ABUSE IT . THAT MAY 
HELP TO EXPLAIN THE LOYALTY OF HIS FOLLOWERS, BOUND TOGETHER ONLY 
BY THEIR PARTICIPATION IN AT LEAST TWO OF GAULLISM'S THREE GREAT 
ADVENTURES : THE FREE FRENCH RESISTANCE ; DE GAULLE'S POSTWAR RASSEMBLEMENT 
DU PEUPLE FRANCAIS (R.P.F.) AND ITS ABORTIVE BID FOR POLITICAL POWER 
; AND THE FORMATION OF THE FIFTH REPUBLIC . VIANSSON-PONTE ESTIMATES 
THAT ONLY 1,500 FRENCHMEN QUALIFY AS REAL GAULLISTS, HAS SELECTED 116 
OF THESE FOR INCLUSION IN HIS DIRECTORY . EVEN IN APOSTASY, 
HE SAYS, THE GAULLIST " LINK IS INDESTRUCTIBLE . EXCLUDED, EXILED, 
IN REBELLION, JACQUES SOUSTELLE REMAINS A MEMBER OF THE CIRCLE . 
" BUT IRONICALLY, SUCH RANKING SPOKESMEN FOR PRESENT-DAY GAULLIST POLICY AS 
FOREIGN MINISTER MAURICE COUVE DE MURVILLE AND INFORMATION MINISTER ALAIN PEYREFITTE 
ARE EXCLUDED FOR LACKING THE PROPER CREDENTIALS . CROSSING THE DESERT 
. VIANSSON-PONTE GIVES EACH GAULLIST A GUIDE MICHELIN SORT OF RATING 
DENOTING PAST SERVICES TO GAULLISM AND PRESENT STANDING IN RELATION TO 
THE GENERAL . A CROSS OF LORRAINE INDICATES FREE FRANCE, A 
SUBMACHINE GUN THE RESISTANCE, AND A STAR THE COMPAGNON DE LA 
LIBERATION, THE ELITE ORDER OF FREE FRANCE AND RESISTANCE FIGHTERS . 
A SMALL OUTHOUSE (CABINET IN FRENCH) MEANS MEMBERSHIP IN DE GAULLE'S 
PERSONAL OFFICE STAFF, A MASK MEANS ESPIONAGE WORK DURING WORLD WAR 
II . A MOTORCYCLIST SYMBOLIZES TRIPS TO COLOMBEY TO SEE THE 
GENERAL, AND A HAND GRENADE MEMBERSHIP IN THE R.P.F . WHY 
THE GRENADE SYMBOL ? " BECAUSE THE R.P.F . AIMED TO 
BLOW UP THE FOURTH REPUBLIC . " AN OPEN DOOR INDICATES 
AUDIENCES WITH DE GAULLE, AND AN EAR TAGS THE MAN WHO 
HAS BEEN SUMMONED TO A CONSULTATION . AN ARMCHAIR DESIGNATES A 
CABINET MINISTER (A SLASHED ROSETTE SIGNIFIES FORMER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS), A STOOL 
A SENATOR, A STRAIGHT-BACKED CHAIR A DEPUTY, A BENCH A DIGNITARY 
OF THE FIFTH REPUBLIC . TWO HOBNAILED BOOTS SIGNIFY MEMBERSHIP IN 
THE GAULLIST U.N.R., ONE HOBNAILED BOOT STANDS FOR THE SLIGHTLY LEFTIST 
BUT GAULLIST U.D.T., A RUBBER BOOT FOR OTHER GAULLIST MOVEMENTS WHOSE 
MEMBERS WERE FORCED TO WADE THROUGH THE GENERAL'S RHETORIC . A 
MESS KIT MARKS THE MEN WHO TOOK JOBS UNDER THE FOURTH 
REPUBLIC ( " I SUPPOSE THEY HAD TO EAT, " SAID 
DE GAULLE) . A TANK INDICATES PARTICIPATION IN THE ARMY REVOLT 
THAT OVERTHREW THE FOURTH REPUBLIC IN 1958, AND A CAMEL MARKS 
THOSE " FAITHFUL DURING THE CROSSING OF THE DESERT " THE 
PARCHED YEARS WHEN DE GAULLE WAS OUT OF POWER . AUTHOR 
VIANSSON-PONTE'S GUIDE TO THE LEADING GAULLISTS : JACQUES CHABAN-DELMAS, PRESIDENT OF 
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, A " TALLEYRAND / WHO IS ALL THINGS 
TO ALL MEN, HE HAS BEEN AN R.P.F . LEADER, MINISTER 
OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC, " A SCHEMER TO OVERTHROW PARLIAMENTARY TRADITIONS, 
" AND NOW " REPOSITORY AND GUARDIAN OF THESE SAME TRADITIONS 
. " MICHEL DEBRE, FORMER PREMIER, RESIGNED IN 1962, NOW A 
DEPUTY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FROM REUNION ISLAND, HE IS THE 
REGIME'S SPECIALIST IN SACRIFICE, AN ARDENT BELIEVER IN ALGERIE FRANCAISE UPON 
WHOM DE GAULLE THRUST THE BURDEN OF SELLING ALGERIAN INDEPENDENCE . 
" THIS WAS TOO MUCH . HE WAS LIKE A CARDINAL 
WHO HAD LOST HIS FAITH BUT WHO HAD TO FEIGN MYSTIC 
FERVOR OUT OF LOYALTY AND FIDELITY . " LOUIS JOXE, MINISTER 
OF STATE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM, ARCHITECT OF THE ALGERIAN PEACE AT 
EVIAN, / HE HAS MORE THAN ONCE BRUSHED WITH HERESY, " 
BUT HIS QUIET ADMINISTRATIVE AND DIPLOMATIC SKILL MAKE HIM ONE OF 
DE GAULLE'S FAVORITE TROUBLESHOOTERS . HIS PRESENT MINOR MINISTRY " SERVES 
ONLY AS A PRETEXT . FROM TIME TO TIME, ONE CONFERS 
ON HIM A DELICATE DOSSIER,AN INTERNATIONAL MISSION, AN IMBROGLIO TO RESOLVE 
. " ANDRE MALRAUX, MINISTER OF CULTURE, / THE SAINT-JUST OF 
DE GAULLE'S REVOLUTION . " HIS ROLE WAS " TO STRIKE 
THE POPULAR IMAGINATION . " BUT NOW MALRAUX IS LITTLE MORE 
THAN A GLAMOROUS ORNAMENT . " HE IS NO LONGER THE 
BURNING AND PRESTIGIOUS GENIUS WHO DISTURBS AND SEDUCES, THE ENFANT TERRIBLE 
OF GAULLISM . THIS IS THE OLD UNCLE WHOSE PASSING WHIMS 
ARE TOLERATED WITH AMUSED INDULGENCE, BECAUSE IN THE EYES OF THE 
NEIGHBORS HE HONORS THE FAMILY . " FRANCOIS MAURIAC, NOVELIST, / 
HE IS FIRST OF ALL A POLEMICIST, THE BEST OF THE 
EPOCH . HOMAGE GOES DIRECTLY FROM THE PRINCE OF LETTERS TO 
THE SOVEREIGN . HE HAS WRITTEN OF DE GAULLE : " 
THERE IS A MAN WHO IS SURE OF HIS ETERNITY . 
" ' GEORGES POMPIDOU, PREMIER, / GRAND DUKE OF THE REALM, 
THE MAN WHOM THE KING WOULD HAVE MADE HIS RICHELIEU . 
" SUCCESSIVELY PROFESSOR, BANKER, POLITICIAN, POMPIDOU MAY BE IN DANGER FROM 
HIS OWN DREAM ONE DAY OF SUCCEEDING DE GAULLE . " 
BUT HE SHOULD BE CAREFUL . HE IS NOT THE ONLY 
ONE WHO DREAMS OF THIS . SAINT-JUST (1767-94) WAS ROBESPIERRE'S MOST 
ZEALOUS FLACK DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, ORGANIZED THE REIGN OF TERROR 
FOR ALL HERETICS, IN THE END LOST HIS HEAD HIMSELF . 
