BELGIUM

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 29 February 1924, Page 5

BELGIUM

Fi,LL OF MINISTRY

AH ADVERSE VOTE

BT CA.BLB-111E88 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT . BHUSSEI.S, Feb. 28. Tho Chamber trejoeteU, by i) 3 votes to *9, a Bill embodying v Franco-Belgian economic convention. The Premier a«nounced that he would resign, as the Government hud made the Bill a matter of confidence. —-

LONDON, Fob. 28. The fall of tl>e Theunis Ministry is rej&retto'd.iu London because he consistently laboured to conciliate AngloFrench difficulties. It is regretted in Paris, because it is feared it may be followed by a Ministry unwilling to continue the joint Franco-Belgian policy in the Ruhr. Belgian Socialists do not disguise thoiir opposition and a desiro for an international conference in connection with reparations. The diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph expresses the opinion that fcho defeat of M. Tlioutub was not solely determined by the economic issue, but reflected the marked dissatisfaction with the Cabinet's recent domestic and foreign policy. It would b© nearly tirue to attribute to it the fall of the franc. M. Theunis was originally summoned to office, not because h© wus a politician, but because he was a banker. The cry latterly heard was, what is the us* of an expert whose policy Was cpueed our franc to decline?