PROBLEMS OF FRANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19389, 26 July 1926, Page 9

PROBLEMS OF FRANCE.

NEW EFFORT TO SOLVE.

POINCARE FORMS MINISTRY A DARING EXPERIMENT. ALL PARTIES REPRESENTED RIVALS BROUGHT TOGETHER By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. July 24. Despatches from Paris state that M. Poincare has completed the formation of a new Cabinet. The portfolios have been distributed as follows : Premier and Finance.— M. Poincare. Justice.—M. "Barthou. Foreign Affairs.—M. Briand. Interior.—M. Sarraut. Education.—M. Herriot. Marine.—M. Leygues. War.—M. Painleve. Public Works.—M. Tardieu. Pensions.— M. Marin. Colonies.—M. Perrier. v Commerce.—M. Bokanowski. Agriculture.—M. Queilles. Labour.—M. Falliere. This Cabinet includes six former Premiers.

In a statement the new Premier said he had not encountered difficulties in forming a Ministry of national union on a very broad base. It was representative of all parties. He had not attempted to allocate the portfolios on a percentage basis. If he had given attention to all the suggestions which had been made he would have spent endless time in seeking an ideal solution of the problems facing France, and at present there was no time to be lost. Elements of Future Success. Superstitious people remark upon the fact that the new Ministers number 13, but this does not appear to have affected the favourable reception of the Cabinet. It seems to possess—as no other has done recently—the elements which should win the confidence of the country and of Parliament. M. Poincare's success in bringing together not only men from the diverse groups represented, but political antagonists of such recent date, like MM. Briand and Herriot, constitutes a real triumph It indicates a readiness on their part to sink their differences, political and personal. " The new Ministry will appear in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday when its financial proposals will be submitted. Concerning these nothing is known at present. Herriot's Inclusion a Surprise. M. Poincare originally intended to limit his Ministry.to five or six members, but events forced his hand. Finally he found himself obliged to provide wider represetation in order to secure a greater measure of support. Naturally the greatest surprise is the inclusion of M. Herriot as Minister of Education. M. Poincare is anxious that his own return to power should not be regarded as revenge for the victory of the Left Cartel at the elections two years ago. M. Herriot for his part explains that on being asked to participate in an attempt to form a Cabinet of national union he felt he could not endanger the success of the plan by refusing. Briand's Retention Satisfactory. vT' ■ The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post says: Never since the war has such a motley group been gathered under one umbrella. The diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says British official circles feel keen satisfaction that M. Briand has been retained as Foreign Minister. This, it is believed, augurs well for the admittance of Germany to the League of Nations in September and for the Treaty of Locarno. The Paris correspondent of the Telegraph says that when M. Poincare visited M. Herriot yesterday morning, the latter was in the depths of depression and humiliation. He regarded himself as a martyr of public life and welcomed M. Poincare's offer of a portfolio as a kind of moral rehabilitation.