THE FRENCH CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1063, 28 February 1911, Page 5

THE FRENCH CRISIS.

A VANaUISHING MAJORITY. ■ M. DELCASSE AS THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER. OTHER CHANGES IMPENDING. Dy Telccraph-Prcss Asspclatlnn-Copyrlirhl. Paris, February 20. Tho decision of tho Prime Minister, M. Briand, to resign is said to be influenced by his vanishing majority, which shows that tho Chambers desiro, a change of leadership. ! . M. Pichon (Foreign Minister) and others intend to withdraw from tho Ministry if M. Brlaiid resigns. ' M. Dolcasso (lato Foreign Minister) is spoken of. as next Premier. SECTIONAIJ INTRIGUES. : '.'.'.. (Rec. February.27, 10.10 p.m.) Paris, February 27. Although M. Comhcs (Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905) is primarily responsible for tho onslaught.-on M: ; Briand, tho latter's friends do not expect any breach in the continuity of M. Briand's and M. Pichon's policy. The diminution of the Government's majority was due to sectional intrigues against 3t. Briand's firmness in dealing with social and labour questions.

.: r\ M. DELCASSE. .. M. Theophile Delcasse, the leading architect of the Clemenceau Government s fall, is remembered as the statesman who promoted Anglo-Freuch ; arbitration, payed the way for. tho Entento, and was driven from, the Foreign Office through; the Koiser's wrath and threat of war. M. Delcassa was born at Painicrs. March 1, 1852, educated at Paris, and began his career as a journalist. Do was elected to tho Chamber, in 1889 for Foix, in 1893 became Under-Secretary for the Colonies under 'MM. Kibot and Dupuy. and Colonial Alinister in the Dupuy Cabinet of May, 1891. He. has always been a■ consistent advocate of colonial expansion. When M. Brisson formed his Ministry in 1688, ho entrusted Foreign Affairs to M. Delcasse, and it fell to; his lot to. deal with the difficult position at Fashoda. He retained his portfolio. in M.. Dupuy's Ministry, after the defeat of the'Brisson'Administration.' In 1899 he negotiated the agreement with Great Britain as to the Mlo Valley and, Central Africa, and _still -remained . Foreign Minister when M. Wai-deck-Rousseau succeeded M. • Dupnv, nnd ■when Mi Combes in 1902 succeeded M. 'Waldeck-Rousseau. Ho brought about'.the rapprochement with Italy, visited England wjth the President in 1003, and with Lord Lansdowne prepared the Anglo-French Agreement, signed April 8,1904. Tho difficulty with .• J Germany about Morocco caused his, retirement in iIOOj. .. •