ANOTHER CRISIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18255, 25 November 1933, Page 5

ANOTHER CRISIS

POLITICS IN FRANCE GOVERNMENT DEFEATED DISCORD OVER BUDGET GRAVE ISSUES RAISED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn ) PARIS, Nov. 24.

The French Government lias been defeated and the Ministry has resigned. Before a Chamber packed with tense, silent deputies, all realising that the fate of the Government was at stake, the debate on the finance proposals began. M. Sarraut announced that the Government.accepted article 6h dealing with Civil Service cuts as an amendment by the Finance Commission. He accordingly put the resolution as one of confidence.' lie proceeded wittily to taunt the Socialists with such phrases as, “This is the last cigarette before I am guillotined. I am a politician and not a cinema actor. If the Government falls, it will fall as a whole, and not be torn to bits.”

M. Herriot followed and demanded that the House vote on the measure with all its defects. “We must not compromise,’’ Ik> said. “When a country’s easlihox is empty it- no longer is flee.” M. Flamlin. who laid purposely flown from London where lie was attending a business conference, announced that, he and his friends supported the Government. Deputy Bedouce said the Socialists view was that the Government could secure the necessary economies without taxing civil servants’ salaries. PERILOUS SUSPENSE The impression that the Government was safe seemed to be confirmed when a Ttightist motion for the suppression of the article was defeated by 326 votes to 237. Then a change occurred. A Socialist amendment was proposed to raise the limit of exemption below which the Civil Service cuts wore inoperative, from 10.CO0 to 12,0CX) francs. This was carried by 321 votes to 247, and thus the former majority of 89 in favor of the Government was turned to i majority of 74 against.

The defeat of the Government raises grave issues and will inevitably result in a period of perilous suspense. French, not less than foreign, opinion stresses the danger to France if the Budget is unbalanced and the monetary position left insecure.

It appears that M. Sarraut agreed to compromise on the amendment on which lie was defeated, offering to make the limit to civil servants exemption 11.000 francs. This news astounded the Moderates, who voted with the Government- on the first division. They now saw that M. Sarraut was going the way of the Socialists. This they resented. The Government, in spite of the warning protests, put the question and the Chamber vote was taken. There was tense excitement.

M. Sarraut’s successor will possibly hr M. Chnutemps, M. Herriot or M. Daladier.

It is interesting to note that on October 24 M. Dalndier and his colleagues resigned after an averse vote on the Budget, and that it- was on November 24. exactly a- month later, that the Sarrfiut Ministry went out for the same reason. This is the fourth Government of France in a year to fall because of Budget difficulties.