FRENCH POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1359, 9 February 1912, Page 5

FRENCH POLITICS.

MOROCCAN TREATY DEBATE-* * ATTACK ON M. CAILLAUX. HIS NEGOTIATIONS WITH GERMANY. By Telegraph-Press ABsodation-CopyrlEfct Paris, February 7. In the course of a further debate, in tho Senate on the Moroccan Treaty If. .lenouvrier charged M. Cnillaux with having, when Premier, negotiated with Germany, and offered to ccdo her a French colony in the Pacific. M. de Selves denied any knowledge of the alleged offers to Germany. M. Jeuouvrier replied that M. do Selves was several times about to resign office when the offers wero made. Had ho done so he would have been tho most popular man in France, but he preferred to sacrifice his popularity to tho silent accomplishment of his duty to M. Caillaux. In a. letter to the newspapers denying the accusations M. DestourneLlcs consid- J ered the attacks on M. Caillaux exaggerated. BIG NAVAL PROGRAMME. Paris, February 7. The navy debate is proceeding. Tho programme fixes the effective streugth of the navy in January, 1920, at twentyeight battleships, ten scouts, and fiftytwo sea-going torpedo boats, at a cost of ■CG0.000.000. The trend of the debate is that the programme is inadequate. THE POWDER SC AND M.S. Paris, February 7. The Senate Committee's report states that the powder Bcandals cost £3,500,000, including the loss of the warships Jena and Liberte, and the destruction -of two and a.half million pounds of B powder. NO INFLUENCE ON THE TREATY. (Rec. February 9.. 0.5 a.m.) Paris, February 8. M. Caudin, the reporter of the Senate's Committee, explained that tho Committee will not proceed with the negotiations initiated by M.. Caillaux, tho late Premier, because of the differences between M. Caillaux and his Foreign Minister, M. do Selves. The question was one of domestic, rather than foreign politics. M. Caillaux's regrettable negotiations had not exercised a decisive influence upon the treaty.