Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE MONDAY, MAY 11th., 1931. M. BRIAND.

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1931, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE MONDAY, MAY 11th., 1931. M. BRIAND.

yHE. election of M. Briand as President of France, would be popular in outside countries, as it would be regarded as buttressing the cause of world peace, and would be a strong influence against those French politicians who would

keep alive old-time feuds, especially where Germany is concerned. M. Briand has hitherto, declined to permit his own nomination for the Presidency, and it will not be surprising if lie adheres to this decision; particularly if the present President, M. Domnergue, agrees to stand for a further term. Many a time and oft has M'. Domnergue declared, that he had resolved to retire. Tie is having a new house built in his native town, to spend liis declining years. However, the glamour of office and the solicitation of his supporters may induce him Io he a candidate again, in which case M. Briand is unlikely to enter the lists. The ill-health of M. Poincare prevents him being a candidate, and beyond these two there is no serious rival in sight to Ihe present holder of the office.

M. Briand has had a wonderful career, mainly as Foreign Minister. A bachelor, he celebrated on March

14 last, his “silver wedding” as a Minister. It was on Mareh 14,1906, that Aristide Briand received his first ministerial portfolio. It is rather difficult for any Frenchman now, whatever may be his political views, to imagine a Cabinet of which the “silver-tongued orator” is not a member. Since he took his place on the political platform as a Minister, M. Briand has been eleven times Prime Minister of France, and has held ministerial posts in twenty-five Cabinets. This establishes a record in French political life. There is a general feeling that M. Briand has been installed as a permanent Minister of Foreign Affairs so long as he will consent to hold the post. The group system in French politics has its disadvantages, but this continuity of foreign policy is an offset.

A Cabinet crisis in France .is no novelty and when the prophets are predicting the new Ministry’s make-up, M. Briand is invariably, included, either as Premier, or Foreign Secretary. He has made it clear that he has now no desire to Lead a Cabinet, and he asks nothing better than to continue his work of international pacification. He seeks neither place nor power, but he does seek peace with all his heart. When he is reminded that he . has become a kind of permanent institution in French governments, he only smiles. The gifts which have made him known as the finest orator in France are devoted now entirely to his ideal of peace ‘and international understanding. He still has all the passion and the wit which have placed him in the front rank of French politics, but he reserves his forces now for the defence of his great ideal. The cause of peace had never a more brilliant fighter. The son of a Breton inn-keeper, in his young days M. Briand wanted to be a sailor. However, his parents cut short his ambitions in this direction when his uncle, a pilot, was brought home drowned, and Aristide took a law course instead. But his ambitions Idy with politics, and he achieved them via journalism. He founded a small weekly with the flamboyant title of “The Democracy of the West,” and besides writing the articles himself, he ran every other department of the paper’s organisation. He contributed to various radical publications in Paris, as well, and finally, with Jean Jaures, founded the leading organ of French socialists, “L’Humanite.” Since the Great War he has worked hard for peace-preservation. With the late Dr. Stresemann, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926, and he has done yeoman service in the cause of international goodwill. His latest important crusade is against European, tariffs, his aim being to have instituted an economic United States of Europe. So far, he has not met with much success, and there is unlikely to be much advancement of this ideal during his lifetime, but the seed he is sowing may bear fruit in years to come. It would be a fitting conclusion to his services for 'France, if M. Briand became President, and his occupancy of that high office would be an encouragement for those who are working for further limitation of armaments.