FRENCH POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3711, 28 April 1925, Page 22

FRENCH POLITICS

MINISTERIAL DECLARATION. PARIS, April 21. Parliament assembled in expectation of a lively debate centring on the personality of M. Caillaux, on which the Opposition is concentrating its attack, having. given notice of two interpellations in respect to tlie Ministry of Finance. There is little chance of the debate ending till late to-morrow. M. Caillaux was received with mingled hisses and cheers when he entered. Tlie declaration of the Government's policy was read by M. Painleve in the Chamber and by M. Stell in the Senate. It says: “The Government is determined to preserve the security of France and to safeguard the franc’s equilibrium. The Government, in its future international negotiations, will pursue the full development of the Dawes plan, and a settlement of the inter-Allied debts, which weigh heavily upon our policy and our credit. Tlie reduced expenditure in the Budget for 1926 will be entirely covered by taxation. When the Budget is unquestionably balanced we will devote ourselves to relieving the State from the functions of banker which ijb has exercised too long already. We will then ask for considerable sacrifices on tlie part of the nation, by appealing to the patriotism of all citizens in an atmosphere of national concord. The Government continues faithful to the Geneva Pact as a first step towards a general international pact of peace based on security, arbitration, and disarmament. France will ratify international Labour Conventions of Washington and Geneva.” The declaration added: “The seven post-war years have been a bitter disillusionment to France, but the present difficulties should not cause the inexhaustible resources of France to be lost sight of, nor cause anxiety regarding her future.” The declaration concluded by stating that the maintenance of a representative at the Vatican appeared to be expedient and by appealing to Parliament not to reopen the controversy. The declaration was much interrupted, the Opposition members upbraiding M. Caillaux and coupling his name with that of 8010 Fasha. A vote of confidence in the Govern mont w r as carried by 314 votes to 250. Tho Senato did not debate the declara tion but adjourned the discussion till April 23. ATTACK ON M. CAILLAUX. PARIS, April 21. Tlie Communist Marcel Cachin, in the Chamber moved an interpellation on the Government’s general policy. Tho Chamber first debated an interpolation lodged by M. Bertrand on bohalf <f the ox-service group asking why M. Caillaux was included in the Cabinet. Cheers and loud protests were mingled, while M. Caillaux himself sat in the

Ministerial bench contemptuously indifferent. M. Bertrand read the text of the High Court’s sentence against M. Caillaux for communicating with the enemy, and heatedly remarked that France had not yet arrived at the piss of having to choose between M. Caillaux and bankruptcy. M. Painleve replied quietly that he had chosen the best qualified men to com prise his Cabinet, and had appointed M. Caillaux to the Ministry of Finance as he had appointed Marshal Foch and Marshal Petain to the chief commands m war-time. M. Caillaux rose and at first betrayed some emotion, but lie quickly regained his old-time incisive accents. He declined to enter into personalities, but dwelt on the national finances. Confusion, he said, choked, the State Treasury, the position of which without exaggeration could be described as serious. He promised complete reform in the new Budget, which would show the expenditure and the corresponding taxation. A Tecount of the votes on the question of confidence in the Government shows 304 for the Government and 218 against. KEEN PUBLIC INTEREST. LONDON, April 22. The Daily Express’s Paris correspondent says that jeers, catcalls, and whistles greeted M. Caillaux’s entry into the Chamber. From an early hour a queue awaited admission to the* public galleries. Women in striking low-necked, sleeveless dresses strangled for seats and then produced powaer-puffs and lip-sticks and patiently awaited the great moment. When the Ministers entered the storm broke loose. The Left cheered and the Right created a great din. Owing to the interruptions it took M. Painleve 45 minutes to read the short statement. When the Right was not interrupting the Left turned the Chamber into a bear garden. M. Cachin was hooted by the right and then M. Bertrand, who champions the ex-service men. A furious onslaught was made on M. Caillaux, who was accused of slipping in by the back door and taking advantage of a political amnesty instead of seeking a retrial. M. Caillaux became livid with anger, but did not intervene in tlie debate. OPINION IN LONDON. LONDON, April 22. The declaration by M. Painleve is regarded in London as of the vaguest character. Summed up in M. Paimeve’s own words, it means, “Give us time to act, and then judge the result.” The financial situation remains undisclosed, apparently for good reasons. M. Caillaux gave only a bare idea of the new fiscal policy when he declared, “I am unable to avoid the present inflation, but my desire is not to increase the bank’s advance to the .State.” He proceded : “There is no question of any kind of consolidation of bonds. That would bo veritable bankruptcy.” Finally,

he made it quite clear that sacrifices would be demanded. A dramatic incident occurred when M. Briand, in a speech, asked what could be a better guarantee of security for France than a perfect understanding with tlie Allies. A military deputy interrupted: Are you sure of England? M. Briand feelingly retorted: We did not have England’s signature in 1914, but she was with us all through, and fought on all our battlefields.—(Cheers ) M. Briand added: “We don’t want to do anything without our Allies.” The Daily Telegraph says in an editorial: “M. Painleve s declaration gave only the most shadowy indications of the Ministry's intentions. His task is to restore the confidence of the investor by sound management of the nation’s finances and to check the downward tendency of the franc It is a Herculean task, involving new and severe taxation, with all the political perils attendant on such a course.” M. Painleve was Prime Minister of France in 1917. He was born in 1863, and his career until 1910 was purely academic. While professor at the Paris University and the Ecole Polytechnique he wa9 elected a member of the Academy of Science in 1900. It was not until 10 years later that he abandoned the serene philosophical and scientific atmosphere of higher mathematics for politics, and entered the Chamber as deputy for the Fifth Arrondissement of Paris. He took a special interest in naval matters, became Reporter of the Naval Budget in 1911, and chairman of the Naval Committee of the Chamber in 1914. He first took office as Minister of Public Instruction and Inventions in October. 1915, and when M. Briand reorganised his Ministry in December, 1916. he made himself spokesman of the Opposition ideas, and declined to accept from M. Briand the portfolio of War, which he accepted from M. Ribot in March 1917. He became Prime Minister in the following September. In politics M. Painleve belongs to the Socialist Republican group. This group has always worked in close harmony with the Radical Socialists and the Radicals. Much interest was aroused when it was recently announced that M. Painleve had decided to offer the portfolio of Finance to M. Caillaux, anotner former Prime Minister. It will be recalled that during tho early part of the war M. Caillaux filled the duties of an army paymaster. After ono or two scenes in Paris be was sent on a mission to South Amerua. Ho returned to Paris in 1915, and at once attracted every effort of Hie German secret service. Athough he took no overt part in politics ho carried on a lobby campaign. He financed newspapers and did everything ho could behind the scenes to consolidate his position. Ho became acquainted with the Bolos and the Malvys of political and journalistic life, and his Activities aroused the alarm of all French patriots. By the spring t>f 1917 he had become, in the eyes of the public, the man who was willing to effect a compromise peace with Germany at the

expense of Great Britain. The long political intrigue, which led to the advent of M. Clemenceau to power, killed all his hopes. M. Caillaux was arrested and, after long delay, tried on a charge of high treason by the High Court of the Senate. He was found guilty of corresponding with the enemy, and in April, 1920, was sentenced to- three years’ imprisonment, the term he had already served, and to the prohibition of his residence in French territory for five years. In addition, he was deprived of nis civil rights for io years. By the Amnesty Act of last year M. Caillaux was restored to grace, and the present financial crisis in France has been the vehicle of his return to tlie capital ELECTION OF CHAMBER PRESIDENT. PARIS, April 22. The election of President of the Chamber re-aroused anger against the Government, resulting in several fights between deputies. S'irst, tlie members of the Opposition abstained from voting, so that there was not a sufficient quorum to secure M. Herriot’s election. During the vote M. Balanant (Opposition) took up his position at the voting urn, alleging that several deputies had voted twice at the first division. The majority angrily dissented when M. Balanant laughed scornfully. A Socialist rushed up and intervened* and another Socialist climbed over the decks and hit M. Balanant in the face. This was the signal for a general fight, with deputies rushing in and hitting out furiously. One threw M. Balanant headlong downstairs. A surging mob of deputies meanwhile swayed in every direction, the President’s chair being upset. It was several minutes before order was restored, and the election of M. Herriot was completed. OUTRAGES IN PARIS. PARIS, April 24. At the conclusion of a municipal election meeting, Communists ambushed the adherents of M. Millerand's organisation of Patriotic Youth, who were leaving the meeting. It is officially stated that the casualties numbered three killed, and eight wounded, all being Millcrandites. Two men were arrested. A further outrage occurred at midnight when a party of Millerandites, including Deputy Taittinger, who presided at the meeting, were going to the station. They were fired upon from a doorway. Two were hit and the remainder were preparing to attack their assailants when a gang of 50 emerged from a side street and compelled the Millerandites to take refuge in an underground railway station, whither the gang followed. The Millerandites. however, escaped in a train after a fight.