MAN OF THE HOUR

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

MAN OF THE HOUR

GONFIOENCE IN DOUMERGUE FREHCH CRISIS PASSING Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, February 8. Everything is normal. A huge crowd enthusiastically greeted M. Doumergue at the railway station. The newspapers, except 4 'Le Popularc,’ unanimously accept his entry into power as the sole means of restoring peace. 4 L’Excelsior ’ says he is the sort of man to end fratricidal strife. 4 Lo Journal ’ says no man since M. Clemenceau has bad so much sympathy and confidence. OTHER POLITICAL LEADERS ASSURANCES OF SUPPORT PARIS, February 8. Some politicians are troubled over M. Doumergue’s acceptance of office and the President’s promise that there shall be a General Election within sis months. Before departing from Tournefeuilie for Paris M, Doumergue said his acceptance of the Prime Ministership was the result of an assurance that M. Herriot, M. Laval, M. Tardien, and others desired a Cabinet of national union and were willing for a political truce. The Chamber of Deputies must show tho same desire. INCIDENTS OF THE RIOTING PARIS, February 8. There was some firing in the boulevards of Paris before midnight. An amusing episode occurred when a pretty young Parisienue saved the situation at the Place de la Concorde' when she ran out from an angry mob, rushed to the police, and implanted kisses on the faces of a dozen astonished gendarmes, shouting: “ I love strong men.” The effect was electrical, angry cries being replaced by laughter and cheers. A gathering of lawyers in the law courts publicly burned M. Frot’s wig and gown and demanded his removal from the law list because several lawyers were among the sufferers from Tuesday night’s rioting. A civilian was killed to-night in a police charge in tho Rue dcs Capucines, where fifteen shots were fired. A young Russian girl who was inciting hooligans then tried to set fire to kiosks, but was knocked out by an old woman, keeper of one of the kiosks. The ex-soldiers’ organisations have withdrawn their members from the street demonstrations, being satisfied with M. Daladier’s resignation. Confused rioting occurred, confined to Royalists and Communists, chiefly in the Boulevard de la Madeleine, where M. Herriot lives, and outside the Palace Elysee, where the President resides. Two more civilians were reported to" be killed to-night. The superintendent of the Paris municipal police was badly wounded in Madeleine square. Ten policemen were also wounded. There wore over 100 arrests, including ten Communists who were attempting to dig a trench. Firing also occurred in the big boulevards, but all was quiet at 1 o’clock. M. Daladier is supposed to have said when resigning: “ Power is not worth such a sacrifice. I won’t have young soldiers firing on crowds.” The authorities, after deciding not to arrest M. Maurras and M. Ditte, editorial writer of ‘ L’Ami du Peuple,’ visited the house of M. Leon Daudct, who slammed the door in their faces when he learned that they had no warrant for his apprehension. DEPUTIES’ MANIFESTO. The deputies’ appeal, which was posted on every wall in Paris, reads; “ On the morrow of the terrible February 6, which was a tragic date in the history of Paris, wo respectfully in formed the President that the resignation of M. Daladier’s Ministry was necessary, and that a Government of public safety should be formed in order to punish the guilty and repair injustice. We believe the appeal has been heard, therefore mourning Paris will bo able to weep over her dead in profound peace.” The Government has decreed national mourning for those who were killed, closing the State theatres and halfmasting all flags. The city was divided between fear and curiosity until nightfall to-day (Wednesday), with an undertone of apprehensive excitement, due to tho threats of some ex-soldiers’ organisations. Men have been engaged throughout the day repairing the damage. Apparently much of the destruction was due to the deliberate purpose to make work for the unemployed. Apparently, also, the war veterans won their battle at a cost of thirty lives. They turned out the Daladier Ministry and have broken the attempt by M. Frot, who is the most hated man in France, to form a Socialist dictatorship. ORGY OF DESTRUCTION. With the falling dusk crowds in the Place de la Concorde, where incendiaries destroyed the floodlighting plant passed from restlessness to riotousness They injured two Republican Guards and began unhorsing others, who were mercilessly beaten. The rioters, who numbered at least 50,000, lighted a huge bonfire of benches and branches, damaging the statute of Our Lady of Nantes. The great boulevards were the scene of destructive rioting by Communist guerrillas from industrial outskirts who massed in Madeleine place. Windows were smashed and shops looted in (lie Champs Elysecs. Madame Chiappe. who founded the police hospital, presided over its first

aid department, and personally attended wounded policemen. MUCH LOOTING. Looting seems to have been the main object of many of to-night’s rioters. They smashed windows, seized goods, and disappeared in side streets. When the police charged it was a rat hunt on a grand scale. The troops generally are kept out of sight, though standing by in barracks and courtyards. Mounted guards are armed with carbines and ball ammunition, but so far as possible only police are employed to keep order. The wireless stations have suspended their ordinary programmes, and are now broadcasting news every half-hour. The sale of firearms within fifty miles of the capital is prohibited. The proletariat gave a poor response to the appeal of the Communist newspaper ‘ Humanite ’ to re-enact last night’s scenes. Aeroplanes from England were held up at Le Bourget. One contained a Press photographer. Fog forced down another photographer at Poix, where lie was detained by the authorities. It is feared that a Communist attack on the Cafe de le Paix led to loss of life. Senator Holland was dragged from an omnibus to-day, his clothes being torn to shreds after he had declared that the Gnarde Mobile should have fired on the rioters. COMMENT BY ‘THE TIMES’ REAL CAUSE QF SITUATION LONDON, February 8. (Received February 9, at 1.30 a.m.) ‘ The Times,’ discussing the situation in France, says: “ The manifestation of popular discontent was political, but underlying the disgust at the corruption and fraud was the deeper cause of tho crisis—namely, economic hardships. Trade and business alike are relatively stagnant. There is no organised relief, such as is helping Britain through her period of hardship. With France, this, with the Stavisky revelations, has inevitably raised tempers to the point of explosion. The scandals must be cleaned up, economic distresses remedied, and order maintained.” ‘ The Times ’ mentions that French goods exports last year fell by over 1,000,000,000 francs. BACK TO NORMAL DOUMERGUE FORMING CABIhcT A ROYALIST APPEAL PARIS, February 8. (Received February 9, at 1,1.50 a.m.) Everything in the city is now normal, but troops are in readiness for further trouble. Where ou Tuesday and Wednesday there were mobs of rioters, today crowds lined tho streets and cheered M. Doumergue’s triumphal journey to tho Elysee. Later thousands gathered and cheered outside tho Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which M. Doumergue is forming his Cabinet. He first consulted M. Daladier and later MM. Herriot, Tardieu, Laval, and Barthou. This is tho seventh time in eighteen months that France has been without a Government. Trouble is expected on Monday when Socialists and Syndicalists will attend at the Bastille an important anti-Fascist meeting. This coincides with the general strike. 4 Action Francaise ’ publishes an appeal, dated ‘‘ln Exile, January 7,” from the Bourbon Pretender, the Due de Guise, asking Frenchmen of all parties, conditions, and origins to rally to the monarchial principle, which alone, he says, can assure peace, order, and justice.

M. GASTON DOUMERGUE M. Gaston Doumergue was President of France from 1924 to 1931. For many years before that time he had been a prominent member of the Left political parties in France, and had occupied many high positions. Before the war lie held office on many occasions as a nominee of the Radical Socialists, and exerted much influence in the councils of that party without, however, gaining very much popularity. He is of stout build and jovial countenance, and has the open hand and ready welcome of a Frenchman from the South. He is seventy years of age, and is a French Protestant. In early life he entered the colonial service, and held posts in Cochin China and also in Algeria. When he first became a deputy he devoted much of his attention to colonial affairs, and, becoming known and liked in his own political party, soon reached Ministerial rank, when he naturally chose the office or Minister of the Colonies. He first held this office in 1903 under tho late M. Combes, well known for his anti-clerical legislation. Four times afterwards he was called to Ministerial office, holding the portfolios of Commerce and Public Instruction in succession. InDecember, 1913, when M. Barthou fell on the question of the loan to be raised to complete France’s military defences, largely as a result of M. Gaillaux’s intervention, M. Doumergue became Prime Minister, with M. Caillaux as his Minister of Finance. M. Caillaux had soon, however, to retire, as the result of his wife having assassinated M. Calmette, the editor of the 4 Figaro,’ in the March of the next year, and the Doumergue Ministry itself did not long survive. However, when the first War Ministry was formed in. 1914 M. Doumergue held office as Minister of the Colonies, and maintained himself there through successive changes until 1917. When the Presidency of the Senate became vacant he was elected to that office, which is constitutionally the second highest in the State. M. Doumergue is distinctly a party man, and has always been considered as somewhat colourless, but the French National Assembly makes a practice of choosing quiet but “ safe ” men for the Presidency of the Republic.