The Evening Star FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1934. THE SHADOW OF REVOLUTION.

Evening Star, Issue 21641, 9 February 1934, Page 8

The Evening Star FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1934. THE SHADOW OF REVOLUTION.

What Tennyson once called “ the red foci fury of the Seine ” has been demonstrated in Paris this week. The Laureate was taken to task for what was called his insular prejudice, but history, including the week’s developments, gives the substance of truth to this pungent line. Resolute and serious in time of war, the Gallic temperament is. apt to become unrestrained in the days of peace when any unusual development occurs. Apart from revolutionary movements and assassinations this was demonstrated at the time when the theatrical General Boulanger almost succeeded in making himself dictator of the country and during the prolonged Dreyfus trial. Lack of political stability is a great handicap to France’s well-being, for Ministries fall and rise with bewildering rapidity. As an instance, the Sari’aut Cabinet fell on November 24; M. Cbautemps, who then formed a Government, was defeated a few weeks later; and now his successor (M. Daladier) has gone the way of all French Governments'. Speaking of the Legion of Honour, Mark Twain once said that “ few escape it,’’ and the same thing might be remarked of the more prominent members of the Chamber of Deputies and office in the various Ministries M. Tardieu, himself a former Prime Minister, angrily declared a week or two ago that “ France cannot live in the present state of Europe with Cabinets that last three weeks. ’ ’ For years after the war France enjoyed prosperity. Trade was good, and there was little unemployment. With the world depression the position has changed. There is a huge Budget deficit, the export trade has greatly diminished, and the threats against the gold standard have caused perturbation in high financial circles. Unemployment is rife, with the inevitable result of poverty and suffering. Attempts by successive Governments to get a balanced Budget have evoked a storm of criticism, for the methods proposed of retrenchment and increased taxation have been* bitterly resented. The proposed “ cuts ” in the Civil Service pay some weeks ago nearly provoked a crisis. To add to the country’s troubles comes the Stavisky scandal, in which men in the highest places (Ministers and officials) are involved. M. Daladier this week, after the Pans outbreaks, made a despairing attempt to save his Government. He promised a parliamentary commission of inquiry in connection with the Stavisky case and the merciless punishment of all whom the commission denounced. He affirmed the retention of the gold standard and declared that the Budget must be passed. M. Daladier belatedly agreed to deal with unemployment and renovate the antiquated fiscal system. His promises and protestations were all in vain. The hostility to his Government was overwhelming, and M. Daladier was compelled to resign. It is interesting to note that the new Prime Minister, who is hailed as a possible saviour of the country in the crisis, is to bo M. Doumergue, who from 1924 to 1931 was President of the Republic. He had previously held various Ministerial offices, including that of Premier. Never very conspicuous for ability, there is no clear indication of why faith should be reposed in him in this hour of crisis. Character and common sense are probably bis main attributes, and these things are what France badly needs to-day. The rioting this week has been so serious as to conjure up visions of revolution, but apparently the worst has passed. The Press generally acclaims M. Doumergue, one journal going so far as to say that since Clemeneeau’s time no man has been regarded with so much sympathy and confidence. The London ‘ Times,’ in discussing the situation, clears the fog which envelops the outbreak by declaring that the root of the trouble is to be found in economic hardship. This seems to be borne out by the developments. The Stavisky affair added highly inflammable material to smouldering fires, and a blaze in Paris resulted. This gave an opportunity to all the disaffected elements in the city—ex-servicemen with grievances. Royalists, Fascists, Communists, the unemployed, and of course the legions of the Paris underworld. It is fortunate that the position is no worse. The street fighting, loss of life, and destruction of property bring to mind the days of the Commune, and no one would like to see the incidents that occurred then repeated.