TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1924. THE JUDGMENT OF FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 112, 13 May 1924, Page 4

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1924. THE JUDGMENT OF FRANCE.

The elections held in France on Sunday were the first real opportunity the people of France have had of expressing their opinion about M. Poincare and his policies. The Senate elections, held in January, were only a partial test of public opinion, for only one-third of the members were elected, and the method of election was indirect. It has been recognised that this election of the Chamber of Deputies, which is by manhood suffrage, would be much more important. The complexity of French politics, the ebb and flow of influences caused by frequent changes in the international situation, and the difficulty of gauging French opinion by the tone lof the capital, have made British writers chary about predicting tho result. The . information available at tht time of writing indicates that M. Poincare has been defeated, for out of a total meniber--1 ship of 610, 274 adherents of tho Right and 290 of the Left have been elected, and the Left is led by declared opponents. Until we have details, however, it would be unsafe to draw any hard I and fast deductions. French party ' politics are quite unlike British. Indeed, 1 there are no parties as we understand them, but "blocs," "groups," "unions," "ententes," and "alliances," the position .' and strength of which frequently change. It has yet to be explained how the elements of the Right and the Left are going to align themselves. M. Poincare has been identified with the Right, but he has also coquetted with the Left, and the Left Ims not been unanimously opposed to his policy in Germany. The three leaders of the Left mentioned in our news set themselves squarely against the Poincare methods. M. Briand is a well-known figure in French politics. He was the Premier whom M. Poincare succeeded. He fell because France thought he was being influenced too much by Mr. Lloyd George. M. Painleve was a Minister during the war, and has been a severe critic of the Poincare Government. M. Herriot is Mayor of Lyons and leader of the Radical party. Hβ undertook an "unofficial" mission to Russia a year or two ago, but before going and on his return had. long talks with M. Poincare. These leaders contend (that the policy of force has failed, and that new methods should be adopted. They are much more sympathetic towards the League of Nations than is M. Poincare. If one of them can form a stable Government we may reasonably expect that its policy will conform much more to British ideas than has that of M. Poincare. > The chief defects of M. Poincare as a reconstructor of Europe were mental rigidity and want of sympathy for France's allies. Everything was looked at purely from the French point of view. Neither Mr. Lloyd George, nor Mr. Bonar Law, nor Mr. I Baldwin could make any impression on I the cast-iron structure of his mind. Mr. J Ramsay Mac Donald seems to have been I more successful, but he had the advantage of a general election, which showed M. Poincare that he had been unwise to judge Britain by tho Rothermere Press. M. Poincare's fall—assuming that he , has fallen —may be attributed {to French disillusionment about his ■ foreign, and dissatisfaction with his j domestic, policy. The invasion of the j Ruhr has brought the country less than j was anticipated; the sharp foreign criticism of French policy has had some effect; and tho perilous state of the national finances has brought the Government into further disrepute. A curious factor in the political struggle has been that the President has made no j secret of his opposition to his Premier. M. Millerand, whe is known to wish to extend the powers of the President, j would not go so far as M. Poincare in coercing Germany. The fall of the Poincare Government J and the coming into office of a Ministry j disposed to rely less on force and more .on the League, might produce a serious i etiffening of resistance in Germany, i where the acceptance of the experts' reparations reports seems to be in some 1 doubt. On the other hand, it would (ease the tension between Britain and I France, and make much easier the task 'of coming to an agreement about ' reparations, debts, and security. Certainly, if M. Poincare goes, Downing Street will heave a sigh of relief. It has been arguing with him for more , 'than two years without much result; and it will be glad to discuss questions !, with a man of more elastic mind and •|wide* «ympatiiiei.. !fc ~ ;,,,, j