THE PERIL OF FRANCE.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 107, 2 November 1900, Page 4

THE PERIL OF FRANCE.

A few days ago the French Premier (M. Waldeck - Rousseau) delivered at Toulouse an important speech dealing with the political situation in France. He claimed that his Government had . reestablished order and brought the army to a due sense of its national mission. He justified the policy pursued towards Dreyfus, his friends, and his opponents, and he announced that the Government would sternly repress the efforts of religious associations to usurp the authority' of the State. But perhaps the most significant of his remarks was his declaration that with the close of the Exhibition truce the Republic was threatened with numerous dangers. Not only in France itself, but also in other European countries there has for Eome time been a widespread anxiety lest the close of the Exhibition should reopen the disputes that arose out of the Dneyfus affair, and M. Waldeck-Rousseau's utterance indicates that the fear was not altogether without foundation. The internal enemies of the Republic have been comparatively inactive during the Exhibition, but they are not yet crushed. The municipality oi Paris is largely controlled by Nationalists who detest the Parliamentary Republic, and unite in a common desire for Borne form of dictatorship resting on a popular vote. These foes of the Republic as at present constituted tried lo promote a banqiiet which was to be a great demonstration against the powers that be, but the provincial municipal authorities declined to lend themselves to the work, and M. Loubet, the- President, Bent out invitations for a rival banquet, which was attended by no less than •22,000 Mayori* and the coniequaftc* wft»

that the Paris Nationalists were compelled to ' givis up their design. The Parliamentary Republic would seem, therefore, to be very strongly supported in the Provinces in spite of its many enemies in Paris'. Until riecent tunes Paris almost invariably led France, but there are signs thafc this is no longer the case, and the change may in a measure be due to the sound work done by thia extraordinary coalition Government over which M. Waldeck-RousseaAi presides. This Government came into office at tho height of the Dreyfus excitement, and was the lost hope of the Parliamentary Republicans. Its members were drawn from various groups, but they were all agreed in their devotion to the existing Constitution. They had to face the army on the one hand, and ecclesiastical influences on the other, and to prove to the average Frenchman that the Parliamentary Republic gave better promise of liberty and order than any of the reactionary factions arrayed against it. The Government brought about a compromise in, the Dreyfus case, and enabled the country to sober down without the civil strife with wihich it was at one time menaced. It boldly attacked the disaffected army chiefs, and succeeded > after a long struggle in bringing the army into subjection to the civil authorities. It suppressed with equal vigour the reactionary propaganda of the religious orders, and towards the end of September struck a severe blow at the alliance between the Church and the Army by dismissing to their regiments thirty professors at tihe St. Cyr Military College who had been trained in clerical schools. There is good ground for M. Waldeck-Roussea-u's boasts, and it cannot be denied that the Republic is far stronger than it was when he and his colleagues took office. But it would appear from his remarks that he does riot altogether trust the present calm. He wishes the Re- « publicans to be watchful and united, for there may be am' explosion in the near future unless due precautions be taken.