French Ministry

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 146, 5 June 1936, Page 5

French Ministry

M. BLUM TAKES OVER

Faces Grave Industrial Turmoil LARGER CABINET (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received June 5, J. 30 p.m.) PARIS, June 4. France's new Left Government, headed b y tho wealthy Socialist, M. Bltun, took over from M. Barrant to-night amid industrial turmoil unparalleled in recent years.

Features of M. Blum’s Cabinet are its size, its inclusion of three women, and its unusual offices. The biggest French Cabinet hitherto was M. Clem-

enceau's war-timo Cabinet, with 32 Ministers and Under-SecretariCs, and tho smallest M. Poincare’s, in 1926, which numbered 13, compared with M. Blum’s 35, of whom 20 arc Socialists, 11 Radical Socialists, one Communist and three women, who are not members of Parliament. Tho chief posts are:—

Premier without portfolio, M. Leon Blum.

Ministers of State, M. Chat’.tcmps,

M. Violette Paulfaure. Vice-Premier and Minister of Defence, M. Daladicr. Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Yvoii Delbos. Minister of Air, M. Pierre Cot. Minister of Finance, M. Auriol. Minister of Marine, M. Duparc. Minister of Justice, M. Rucart. Minister of the Interior, M. Salengro. Miister of the Colonies, M. Moulet. Minister of Social Solidarity (actually labour), M. Lebas. Minister of Commerce, M. Bastid. There are also Ministers for Physical Education and Sports and Leisure. The women are: —Madame Joliot Curie, Scientific Research; Madame Suzanne Lacore, Child Welfare; Madame Brunsehvig, State Orphans and War Widow’s.

M. Blum says he will broadcast tomorrow regarding tho labour conflict. In the meantime the Ministers of the Interior and Labour take over their offices to-mghi. Tho new Cabinet will meet in the Chamber on Saturday.

M. Ilcrriot has been elected president of the Chamber of Deputies. The City’s life to-day was utterly disorganised. It is estimated that at least 400,000 have stopped work in the City and environs. Food is scarce and prices are prohibitive, while supplies of gas and petrol are becoming short. Newspapers are so rare that copies are passed from hand to hand. Work has stopped in most film factories and many chaiii stores. Paris was relieved to learn that lorry drivers who bring provisions from the goods yards to the market have decided to return to work, so the position may be eased to-morrow, though it cannot immediately be normalised.