The Daily News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1934. RIOTS IN PARIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1934, Page 6

The Daily News

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1934. RIOTS IN PARIS.

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If Paris were all France the situation in Europe would be ominous indeed. Fortunately for peace, and perhaps for the preservation of democratic rule in Europe, the viewpoints and actions of the capital, or even of the large industrial centres, have never represented the most important body of public opinion in France. That is held by the peasantry, always conservative, always thrifty, capable of much sacrifice for the Fatherland if needs be, but determined that so far as its strength goes, and it is well aware how great that strength is, there shall be good value received for the cost of government, and that Ministers shall always be kept in remembrance that they are the servants and not the masters of the Republic. The French Constitution was framed with due regard to the peasant, for it was born when the peasantry had shown its powers of sacrifice in order to get rid of the supervision of the hated Germans whose victory two generations ago cost France SO dearly. The weakness as well as the strength of the Constitution can be traced to ence of the conservative peasantry, and its inflexibility has led to recent demands for the drastic amendments of the constitution. At present the Parliament of France runs its allotted course while Governments come and go. This, added to the division of members into many groups and parties, has made it almost impossible for a Ministry to appeal direct to the electorate upon a serious question of policy. Under the British parliamentary system such an appeal almost invariably follows the defeat of a Ministry’s policy measure and the electorate decides whether the policy concerned shall be proceeded with. In France such a political defeat means but a leshuffling of political groups with a Ministry that has succeeded in attaching sufficient support to enable it to take office, but often uncertain whether its policy will be accepted by Parliament. In one way the French system maintains Parliamentary control over the Cabinet and over public expenditure very effectively, but speaking generally it seems to have robbed ministerial office of a good deal of its strength and authority. This is evidenced particularly when, as at present, economic conditions are unpromising. France has had more than one unbalanced Budget, and there is a huge deficiency likely in the current year unless revenue is increased and expenditure cut down. To carry out the unpleasant duties of increasing taxation and reducing civil service salaries and State services in other directions does not encourage a Ministry’s popularity.’ Cabinet after Cabinet in France has tried to grapple with the financial problem, but the only policy question upon which all have agreed is that the safety of their country makes necessary a huge expenditure upon' the army, navy and air forces. The peasant hates additional taxes as much as the wage earner in the towns. He-has felt the loss of local markets for his produce through the diminution of the tourist traffic from the United States and Great Britain, while, like every other exporting country, France is finding oversea markets shrinking continuously. Hitlerism in Germany has created new anxiety in political affairs, and the recent Stavisky peculations, in which ex-Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentarians are said to have been involved, have been made the occasion of severe attacks not only upon the Ministry in office when the disclosures were made, but on the Parliamentary system itself. Meanwhile the streets of Paris have been once more crimsoned by the blood of foolish citizens who tried to substitute force for law and order. Their tactics are unlikely to prove attractive to the peasants, who know too well that however much they . may permit Parliament to discipline respective Ministries, if the supremacy of Parliament is successfully assailed their liberty and their property will be in serious danger. There have been many successful challenges to democratic rule in Europe during the post-war years. Only in Britain is the belief in that rule stronger and deeper than ever, and the conviction is shared throughout all British Dominions. Because of that belief all portions of the Empire will sympathise with those who in France are trying to resist a serious attack upon democracy.