The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1914. POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS IN FRANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2167, 4 June 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1914. POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS IN FRANCE.

The resignation of "the fMßch Premier (M., Douj.rEKCEBB) has mated a very , interesting sitnation ifi French polities. The. report that- J3n is to ba succeeded by M. vitiani tfill not bo very welcome to those who believe that the tirflc is ripe for 6, policy of appcascmeQi wtjich wjil do something , , to softe'tt the an-im-osities which at present divide the .French people into a nurtibsi' of hostile camps. If M. Vifia.ni is- essjat for, and supceeds in fosinirtg a Goyerameiit, it will meaa ilmi, a representative of the Radical wiog tri ths Radical-Socialist Party, fe Jeplaced by a representative' of the Socialist wing. It has nfft yot been made clear, however, -irhethsr ho will bo able to carry with him tlis support of the Unifioi Socialists -who follow 11. Jaurgs. Ii v-'os ike cf?Sßbina.tioii of tho Batliiral-SociaJiSw and the 'Unified 'Socialists winch brought about tho downfall of 51. Baethou"s Cabinet -towards the end of last year. By this .ftwcttis lliO combination secured the ctit/i/nioys advantage of going to tliq raimtJ'y in possession of tk? of Government. In tdiati this adrantage consists is oxnlainc-tj in a fccciit article in the Xiiictccnth. Century by Dr.. CIIATTEnTON-Hn,-L, of tfeo University of Genev.'i. who tlsckves that "tho 'stench of the rukine electorate of the Republic is so strong that exceptional nostrils are required iii: order to stand it." 'Tfteve are ways of making tilings very .nnplea^atit : for those who are suspected of.voting against the Governteflfc 'eautlidate. ; and various induewttjuts <i;i:o held out to tempt electors to "vot'c v/eH''*; —that is, for the party ih power. The candidate of the Aclministvatioa I is able to promise rewards .with the practical certainty of bring able to made his promises ajoo*!, "whetcas tho Opposition candidate is doubly handicapped by _ the faefc that he is unabb to promise an;; toiiciblo foward to those who yore for him. and by the fact that such voters ai'c liable to suffer positive joss Mid inconvenience as a punishment for tto'ir attitude towards tiros* in jaowei'.' . For these and other wasoiis thf average Frenchman I&oks down upon politics with minglccj indifference and contempt. Ho hns become w;terly sick of the sordid insincerity of Ilia whole game, and this apathy on the part of a large section of stw best typo of Frenchmen makes it easy for tilings io ro from bad to worse, until the whole country is ai'oosr-cl by some scandal of exceptional groasness. M. Viviani, who is cxpeeiod to lw. the new Premier, cfirrks his aittielci'icalisni to such ;iii extreme thist it is not .-u cxaEgeratiim to rlesevibe his policy ?s distinctly aiiti-Cbvis-tiati. ,Spcakinjß; ,in tho Chaiuber of Deputies as Hinistex of Labom , , in

1907, ho made the ostcmishing doclaration lh.it the Republic had definitely put an end to Oor> and extinguished all tho lights in the koiivens.. It is a significant fact that at the very time M. Viviaxi was making this reckless boast', competent observers were declaring that tho U'end of the best French tlmugh; was in . the opposite direction". Some of the most brilliant of the intellectual leaders of Prance have revolted against the dismal I>hilosophy which seetfts to give M. Viviaxi so much satisfaction, a,nd i:\n-: lights iu the heavens arc being refit. The policy of appeasement and reconciliation as regards tho re* ligious conirtjvei'sy adve'eated so cloquently by si. BniANp is not likely to find any favour wUh.-.M. Vi\*iasi if he is placed at the head of the Government, and so tax as he is concerned there is not lilcely to he aa.y rcliixation of the harsh treatment which is at present being meted out to tlie Church schools. The, financial position premises to give ike new Ministry a very anxions time, fho Paris correspondent of the ■Idjadna times has pointed out that- Ac Chamber which reomt'sy rea-ched tho end of its four years' term increased /the Budget &i expenditure by about :aa per c?nt. The Budget of ISJI w.as [ passed with over six months' delay, [and that- of 1913 with seven months' <i<?lay, white for the first time in tho history of the Third Republic tlie Chamber dissolved in April ks4 without- piiisiwg the eitrrenfc Bucket, Tho three wars' military service law 'is asso likely to a lot of ts'o«!,)le. The Sadinal-SftfiiaHsts-a-re divided pn this vital qurstioa, while I the Uinfisci Socialists are openly oj>l posfd to the extension of lite ierijij e>? service fyftm two to tfereo years. It is generalty believed, • tiovrevfir.. ! that the majority of the Fuennh wrote n_rc f'f opinion that the ox> tension is absolutely heecssary for : tho (Mifety of the uoHntry, in vfo.w oi' tho large increase jecetly made in th«! o : f the Gorma-n Army. It reraaißsi to be seen, whethoi? a rfiversioa te the two-yeiir period *U1 he proposed. Suiha proposal iji*obabiy cans'! dissension 4nioag tlie Radicals, while on the- other haid it is doubtfttj if A Government which ia »r/t ■ j-irepaved to take this sfcfi ■ will be able, to rely «»on the support, of the Socialists. It is cpitte possible that the Bjulicak and Soeialisls j»ay a%m to allow the thrcm years law to continviQ iii fere? lav the ptose&t;, in order to orevcait their , oftDbseuts fyoffl cjettifte: ieto power. Wig position is ccrtnidly net a stablrs one. but fitabiJitv Has n.ol l)csn ft fthara.etevistjo of French poiHUss fos , aaay .Vflaf.*. Dufinp %'terati of'thf. last Fartwmoiit no fewer than time dvfoent Governments were fflattd -Ami uarnndo, a-fid sines fihea the BowiiEjievß C-Jibinnt has Mies. Tho exisfcimr situation is so uncertain and eona.pli* e&t&d that t&ft ehaßces of a. long life for th* next Miftiai^— w!icAe.r"'ifc is foi-mad by M, VtviASf or aftyc).ne else—arc vci'j remote.