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Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 23 June 1924, Page 8

Germany is appealing to the Allies to give uu unuertaking to retire Horn the principal muni cities wiieu tne iteiclistag endorses tne necessary legislation to give enect to tne experts' reports. Strong opposition can be expected to be shown by certain ructions m hranee to' such a proposal, but the MacdonaldIdeiTiot conversations should. clear tne way to a complete understanding. It is noteworthy, however, tnat the political situation is less secure, since the overthrow ot jVL. Poincare and the retirement of President. .Miiierand owing to the apparent instability of file Government and the iucohesion of its supporters. The world is familiar, ot course, with Al. Poincare s narrow, dogged policy, but it is not so familiar with the fact that he carried it through without hitch only because on the main questions he is m agreement with President Miiierand. 'the President was_ thy ciuef founder of the Bioo .National. M. Poincare had to depend upon this conservative group for his rather precarious majority. The two men saw almost eye to eye on foreign questions, though President Miiierand tended always to keep in advance. Ever since 192 U President Miiierand has harped upon a rigid execution of the Versailles Treaty such as*M. Poincare demanded in his Sunday “sermons.” Before ho became. President, M. Miiierand showed the attitude toward England, Germany and Russia that M. Poincare has taken since. He was one of the French delegates at the- Hythe, San Remo and Spa negotiations, and came into constant conflict there with Mr Lloyd George. When he was Premier in 1920 he sent French troops to occupy Frankfort as a punitive measure. Because of the substantial identity . of their foreign aims, M. Poincare and President Miiierand worked well together, although they were fai apart on internal • issues. M. Poincare was more nearly radical than conservative in domestic polities. He steadfastly refused to become leader of the 8100 National, and flirted with the Bioo des Gaudies until a bargain became necessary to carry his financial reforms. At the same time President Miiierand showed signs of a more moderate attitude toward Germany before M. Poincare evinced it by consenting to the l>awes inquiry. M. Poincare also opposed President Miiierand’s conception of a powerful Presidency. But in general the two men "have kept dose together. The elections resulted in the downfall of M. Poincare, and subsequent events forced President- Miiierand’s resignation. Foi years the world has hoped for a milder French policy than was possible while the Chamber was made up of Deputies chosen in the Nationalist fervour of the 1919 election. Some observers feared that this prospect would be clouded by a firm alliance of President Miiierand and M. Poincare as heads of the Bioo National. But large economic and irresistible political forces were operating to bring about a wise temper in France and a saner administration. The fall of the franc, for example, which signalised the failure of the original expectations from the Ruhr invasion, had a sobering influence. The Dawes report, it is hoped, will make for reason everywhere, particularly in Germany, since the election in France resulted most favourably for a mutually satisfactory European undertaking.