FRANCE'S LOSS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 240, 10 October 1934, Page 7

FRANCE'S LOSS.

LIFE OF SERVICE

Foreign Minister in War and Peace.

BARTHOU'S WORK AT GENEVA.

Louis Barthou, the French statesman, was born at Oloron, Basses Pyrenees, in August, 18G2. He became a barrister and also wrote much for the Press. At 27 his native district sent him to the Chamber. Pie was a man of great ability, but his critics regarded him as an unreliable opportunist and eventually all parties looked somewhat askance at him. A member of the Radical group, he was more in sympathy with the Right on many questions, notably the Dreyfus case. In Paris he posed as liberal and conciliatory, while in the Basses Pyrenees his anti-clericalism was notorious. He attained Cabinet rank at tlie early ago of S2 as Minister of Public Works in the Duputy Government. In the Meline Cabinet (1890) he was Minister of the Interior, and in that of Sarrien again Minister of Public Works. Under Cieinenceau (1900-9) lie hold the portfolio of Posts and Telegraphs, and under Briand that of Justice. Although lie was strongly anti-Socialist, it was he who was responsible for the purchase of the Oucst Railway by the State. Forms First Cabinet. Oil the fall of Briand's third Ministry in March, 1013, Barthou formed a Cabinet, whose chief aim was to carry through the law imposing three years' military service. This he succeeded in doing. * When, however, in the late autumn of 1913 he laid his estimate before tlie Chamber, he was strongly opposed by the Radicals, and above all. by Caillaux. On December 2 the Government was defeated and resigned. In the Painleve Cabinet during the war Barthou was for a few weeks Foreign Minister. After the war lie was War Minister in Briand's sixth Government, and in 1922 Minister of Justice in Poincare's second Cabinet. . On October 4, 1922, lie was elected president of the Reparations Commission —a post which ho held until July, 1920. In addition, during tlie campaign against Abd-el-Krim in 1025 he acted as ResidentGeneral in Morocco. He entered I'oineare's Cabinet of National Union, which included six ex-Premiers, in July, 1920, as Minister of Justice, retaining the post after the reconstruction in November, 1925.

Called Back to Office. After the fall of the Tardicu Cabinet in December, 1930, M. Barthou tried to form a Government, but failed. He then became War Minister in Steeg's Cabinet, which lasted only till January 22, 1931. Until 1934 M. Barthou held no ollice in the Governments which succeeded each other with ever-growing rapidity. The Stavisky scandal and the violent rioting which arose out of it, led to the downfall of two Radical Cabinets within 11 days. It was felt that the only way to end the crisis was to form a Ministry of National Union. For this task Doumergue, the ex-President of the Republic, was called back from liis retirement to become Premier, and his Government, which took office in February, included six ex-Premiers. M. Barthou was Foreign Minister. His policy at once showed a trend to the Right. He refused to discuss the details of the last German Xote. In March he rejected the British arms plan, asserting that Germany's demands would result in a disarmament of France in men as well as in war material, while the Reich would be allowed to rearm to an extent that would soon put her oil an equality with France. When the Geneva discussions were resumed in June, he virtually told Britain that her help in regard to guarantees of execution was not wanted. He also aroused the resentment of Mr. Henderson by a speech which the president of the confercnce took to lie a reflection on his impartiality. M. Barthou, it was considered, intended to rely on alliances, as was indicated by his visits to Poland, Yugoslavia, Rumania and other countries friendly to France in Eastern and Southern Europe during which he spoke strongly against revision of the Peace Treaty. He then visited London, where he outlined an Eastern Locarno, a Mediterranean pact and a general one to be signed by the signatories of the existing pacts to subordinate them to the League Coverallt. M. Barthou also authorised Sir John Simon to approach Germany with a view to negotiations for a convention to give her reasonable equality of rights. But Germany was unwilling to join the Eastern Locarno, which Britain supported, provided it did not involve further British commitments or the creation of one combination of Powers against another. M. Barthou, who was an historian, an authority on Victor Hugo and passionate bibliophile, was a member of the French Academy.