THE COMMUNISTS LOVE THE IDEA . THEY ARE SAYING REASSURINGLY THAT THEY 
WOULD NOT MAKE FRANCE PULL OUT OF THE COMMON MARKET OR 
NATO AS THE PRICE OF "WORKERS' UNITY ." THAT IS THE 
SAME SWEET LINE THE COMMUNISTS ARE TAKING IN ITALY, WHERE THE 
REDS'S LONGTIME ALLIES, THE LEFTIST NENNI SOCIALISTS, ARE ON THE VERGE 
OF ENTERING THE GOVERNMENT . WHILE FRENCH SOLIALISTS ARE COZYING UP 
TO MOSCOW, CHARLES DE GAULLE IS MAKING SHEEP'S EYES AT PEKING 
AS PART OF HIS STRATEGY OF THE HIGHER POLITICS . HE 
WOULD LIKE TO REVIVE FRANCE'S DUSTY INFLUENCE IN ASIA . COMMENTING 
ON THE COUP IN SOUTH VIET NAM, INFORMATION MINISTER ALAIN PEYREFITTE 
LAST WEEK RENEWED DE GAULLE'S PROPOSAL, PLAINLY DESIGNED TO EMBARRASS THE 
U.S ., OF A UNITED AND NEUTRAL NORTH AND SOUTH VIET 
NAM "FREE OF FOREIGN INFLUENCES ." A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS, 
HAS JUST RETURNED FROM A MONTH'S TRIP TO RED CHINA ENCOURAGED 
BY THE PROSPECT OF INCREASING TRADE . ALSO BOUND FOR PEKING 
WAS EX-PREMIER EDGAR FAURE, WHO HAS LONG URGED FRENCH DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION 
OF RED CHINA . THOUGH TRAVELING "UNOFFICIALLY," FAURE CARRIED A MESSAGE 
FROM DE GAULLE TO MAO TSE-TUNG THAT REPORTEDLY DEPLORES COMMUNIST CHINA'S 
ISOLATION . WHILE RULING OUT FORMAL RECOGNITION IN THE NEAR FUTURE, 
PREMIER GEORGES TOTTER OFF VIKTOR IVANOVICH AND SEVERAL OTHERS HEAD FOR 
CLINICS WHILE THE STEWARDESSES INVENTORY BED SHEETS . ONE PASSENGER WROTE 
THE MINISTER OF THE RIVER FLEET : " EVERYWHERE WE SAW 
POSTERS URGING THE PERSONNEL TO FIGHT FOR BETTER SERVICE FOR PASSENGERS 
. PERHAPS THEY'LL STOP FIGHTING AND SIMPLY START BEHAVING IN AN 
ORDINARY, HUMAN MANNER TOWARD US, GIVING US FOR OUR MONEY (PARDON 
THIS DETAIL) WHAT WE ARE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO ! " BUT 
AS WISE OLD VIKTOR IVANOVICH SAYS : " ALAS, IT'S THIS 
WAY NOT ONLY ON BOATS . / 