POLITICS OF FRANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1926, Page 7

POLITICS OF FRANCE

BRIAND TO FORM MINISTRY. A MIXED CABINET. PARIS. June 17. The Premier. M. Briaud, has set himself the task of forming a new Cabinet on a broad basis. He lias issued a statement appealing to the various political groups to sink their differences and make an effort at abnegation and t-elf-sacrilice. lie urges them to unite in the best interests of the country anil to consecrate themselves to its financial reconstruction, which if not easy, he says, is at least possible. Adversity will make strange bedfellows in the new French Cabinet if M. F.iianil succeeds in the bold project be lias outlined in a semi-official statement.

This indicates that be will first approach M. Herriot, leader of the most important group in the Chamber of Deputies, and will then seek to enlist the services of diverse personalities like those of M. Poincare, Leader of the Union Republicaine, and M. Leon Blum, the Socialist, in-addition to the heads of all tlie intermediate groups.

M. Briand's project seems destined to failure in view of a pact which was concluded at a congress of the Radical nnd Socialist parties. They resolved to oppose tbe formation of a Cabinet of a National Union.

The two parties declared their willingness, however, to support any Republican Government determined to restore the financial position.

The newspapers anticipate that as a result of.this decision M. llerriot will refuse to participate in the new Government. — (Reuter.)

IMPROVEMENT IN FRANC

(Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 17

There was a considerable improvement in the French franc. - In London this morning it was quoted at loTj, presumably as a result of the partial solution of the political crisis.— (A. and N.Z.)