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Southland Times, Issue 19387, 10 September 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

M. Combes, tbe French Premier, is unabashed by the strife he has caused between the Republic and the Roman Catholic Churchi Speaking before 3GOO people on Sunday, 24th July, ho anticipated that the conflict would result in improved relations between the two on lines satisfactory to the Republicans. He takes credit to his Government on account of its foreign policy, which, ho says, is the envy of impartial __men and the admiration of th. entire word. It has certainly done well, but the results attained have been due, not to M. Combes, but to that best of French Foreign Ministers, M. Delcasse. Under M. Coombes France has been a party to impart.,;., compacts tvhl.h make for international peace* AU tho moro remarkable, therefore, is the domestic strife, for which his action against fchq religious ordera has been responsible. The efTects of that cannot be gauged to-day. Thoy will be felt for generations to come. M. Combes has done moro to estrange Church and State than any rremier Franco ever had. He can, however, point to the fact that he ia supported in his anti-clerical policy by so level-headed a statesman as M. Delcasse, and that implies strong presumptive evidence in its .favour.