FRENCH POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 97, 18 January 1921, Page 7

FRENCH POLITICS

CAUSES OF M. LEYGUES’S OVERTHROW

THE NEW CABINET AND THE ENTENTE By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright. Paris, January 16. The overthrow of M. Lcygues is ascribed ip <a variety of causes. He was always regarded as a sort of buffer between the two strong men, M. Millerand and M. Briand. Moreover, M. Leygues wag condemned as too acquiescent to the British standpoint, and insufficiently insistent on French interests, especially concerning the strict execution of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. The majority of the Chamber were much dissatisfied at the, postponement of the German reparations, which they consider necessary to repair the French finances. The future must decide whether the new Cabinet, with its so-called strong and firm policy, will promote or detract from tho Anglo-French Entente.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

M. BRIAND’S MINISTRY

GREETED WITH SATISFACTION BY

PARIS PRESS. Paris, January 16. Besides the Premiership, M. Briand assumes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The newspapers greet M. Briand s seventh Ministry with lively satisfaction, and comment on tho fact that lie has remained silent since 1917- -the “Matin," after remarking that the crisis would have been serious had it been prolonged, refers to the co-operation of M. Briand and Mr. Lloyd George in 1916 in connection with the economic agreements which served as the basis for the political understanding between Erance and Britain.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

M. ESL'CHEUR MINISTER OF REPARATIONS (Rec. January 17, 7.45 p.m.) Paris, January 17. 51. Loucheur, who was Minister of Industrial Reconstruction in the Clemenceau Cabinet, has been appointed 1 Minister of Reparations.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

M. POINCARE’S SUPPORTERS

NOT SAT ISP’ED UNTIL HE IS

PREMIER. (Rec. January 17, 7.45 p.m.)

London, January 17

The "Dailv Telegraph’s” Paris correspondent states that the downfall of M. Leygues was not so much a repudiation of his or M. Miillerand’s reparation policy as a protest against the Premier being the mere mouthpiece of M. Mi.lerand without his own policy. Tho selection of M. Briand satisfies such protesters, but a powerful section of both Houses, especially tho Conservatives, will not be satisfied until M. Poincare is Premier. They believe that France s iuTl demand will be safe in his hands. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn

THE NEW PREMIER’S CAREER VIEWS ON BRITISH POLICY.

M. Briand is 58 years of age. He has three times previously been Premier of France, on the last occasion from 1915 to 1917. In s the course of his career he has passed through a political development —a transformation it might even be called—which is remarkable even m France, where political changes are a constant phenomenon. Sprung from humble parentage, his early associations caused him to embrace Socialism, and on coming to Paris from St. Nazaire ho threw himself into journalism Returned for the industrial constituency of St. Etienne, ho soon commanded the attention of the Chamber by the evidence he gave of political sagaciti. Although his principles were those of the Socialists, they were enunciated with with moderation and tact. As reporter of the first Church Disestablishment Bill, and later as author of the same Bill in its amended, form, he showed himself an adept at conciliation. In 1909 he became Primo Minister, and in the following year was called upon to deal with the great railway strike of October. 1910—a formidable conspiracy to’paralyse the industrial life of the country. For a week no trains had run and no postal or telegraphic business had been transacted. He then took action which was at once bold and effective. By calling up the railwaymen as reservists he crushed the movement in a dav. Attacked by M. Jaures In the Chamber 1 for his action M. Briand, with a gesture, exclaimed:— “Look, there is no blood on my hands,” a saying characteristic of the man, and suggestive of the pacific method he had adopted to end the strike. M. Briand had already broken with the Socialists when in his famous speech at St. Chamond in 1907 he declared himself opposed to a number of their tenets and certain unpatriotic doctrines. His first Ministry came to an end in November, 1910, but he remained Prime Minister of a reconstructed Cabinet until June, 1911, when he was succeeded by M. Caillaux. In August. 1914. he entered M. Viviani's Cabinet as Minister of Justice, and on the fall of this Ministry in October, 1915, M. Briand formed that which carried on until March, 1917. He created the Salonika front and there were acute differences between himself and M. Clemenceau as to the advisability of this step. His views on British policy in the peace were. stated in a recent speech, when he. said" The appetites of nations are like those of the individual. When there is no appetite there is no action. The greatness of the British people is due to a hunger of action which is never satisfied. But Britain is snorting enough to understand that it is not always the same man who wins. In a boxing match all that is necessary is that tho blows should be loyally given in accordance wTfir the rules of fair play. But it is not Britain’s business to look after others, and she has never done it. She is quite willing to make concessions, but she wants to be told frankly what people desire. After the usual formulas of politeness she quite understands when she asks for something, the reply, 'Yes, but give and take.’ France wanted to work, and for that coal was necessary. She did not get rid of all military domination in Germany in order to accept an economic domination. She had not fought in order to go from beneath one form of slavery under another. She wanted to be free, and for that she must have coal. If France has a surplus of mineral wealth, let us come to an agreement. It is not possible that two great peoples, who fought side by side on the battlefield, and whose corpses are entwined under the earth, should drift away from each other because of material interests. There ie sentiment and interest.”