The Dominion SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1914. THE NEW FRENCH CABINET

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2175, 13 June 1914, Page 4

The Dominion SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1914. THE NEW FRENCH CABINET

The new Erench Miais-try after ail | is a strong combinatloii reprcsenta-: five of the great central body of public op in ion. If it can maiiitaiix I its. position it should certainly he able to do something to. promote j sound national ideals and pat .a] cheek on. the down-grade movement, 5 in Ereach politics. The results of the recent elections did not at first sight give inunh encouragement io tira hopes of those who had an tiejpatcii that the canipaigii of JI. Bki.,ani> ;i uij iiis colieiignes ' would' haw inaicrially altered the relative strength of parties. The elections did not lead to any great change, in this respect;, the most noticeable feature being a considerable increase in the, strength of the Socialists, bat as their gams were mainly_ secured : at- the expense of the SQcia-l.ist-R.adi-cals, the general, position remained very uracil as it- was in the last Chamber, It- soon became evident, however, that M. Dotmeegue, who was IV'tnior at the timo of the election, e.ttuld iio laager coin.nand a suflicient majority to eiiaUe liiiu io carry oil, and he resigned, M>. Vivi.VN'l, a Socialist of an c-xtiv'.niely aggressive type, was then given au opportunity cf .forming a Ministry, but he failed owing to differences of opinion regarding 'the three years' service law. M. Kinoi was next "sent for," and he. has succeeded in forming what appears to be a very strong Government. 11. 111 hot is aman ' of distinction in French ' politics. He W3s«_ elected, a Member ' ol the Chamber of Deputies in IHvfl, ; and was Minister of Foreign Affairs : in M. de Ekevcuxbt's Ministry 93). During his term of otlke. the Alliance between I'rancc and Russia Was ccncluded. He has twice occupied the position of Prime Minister. It is probably safo to assume that he is a sympathiser with M. . B.Wash's policy of "appease.inent" as regards the relation.* between C'iiureh and State, for during recet.it. : years he lias set his.face againsl, the ' iaarsh treatment which the party in power has been meting out to the Church ani! the religious order). He lists pai<! speeii-ii atfeiil.io'i In finnme ediieatiwii, au'l ioieigii. affairs, uiui is si liie'iiU-r of the I'r'eiieli Aeatkmy lind of file. Ar-atlemy of Moral -aui! Polincai ScicttCfis. M, 1? tjsot to have sucrended in bringing about a ivtroupinK of politiciil. juirties, miw.l lias bee:, assured of strong slipport from the .Moderate Repnbli cans. So is opposeJ by the Radicals avid Socialists, but the e&mhWHid fen! rei g'roups, ought to .be sti'cmg eSotv.ib to ui-ai with a, tub* : ttantial dajority.

The principal, issue placed before the electors was the Throo Years' Military Service Law, The Socialists and a section of the .Radicals are in favour of reverting to the old system of two years' military service, whereas the other section of the Radicals-, the; Bria.ndisis, and other groups support the three-year term. Basing its figures on the first Ixillots, the Temps gives the following table showing tho voting for and aga.iast the Threa Tears' Law For 4,6*1,58fl !'«;• with iio ilofmilnms ... H12,7!i7 AsnSust 2,53ii,041 DobWUS - 133,713

This must be regarded as ail einphatio declaration that thevo nmst lift no going back in this matter. In view of ! lie great increase recently made in the strength of tlio (Jcrroaa Army, and tha uncertainty of the i.n ternatioiuil putlook in lSufopc, .it bccan;e. absolutely neiMssary for l/riificu to a.cltl a?tother year to £ha. terra of military servfce. The step had to. Iw token to sc.e:;ro the, nation's safety. The people have now expressed their approval of What has bc'.in done, and M. . Rnior s Minis-try will staunchly adhere to j tke aineiidcd law, ekotums also ,• indicate that the country d the reforin. of ths eletloral machinery. The prosc.nt mctliod "-s far irom satisfactory, but it gives gu-cli an advantage to the party in power that thoi'e has been- a great unwillingness to alter it in spito of the fact that an influential agitation for a change has been in existence lor somo yenis. But perhaps dm most, important question which the new Government will have to grapple with is tlw fii>anci.il position of the country. This lias boon a sowee of Mirirnis anxiety for svWi tirao nasi, and inattf-rs have been steadily going from bod to worse, Ift oso of h.B ..ckcUoft addresses, M. Mili,brasS c{s*. flared that it was impossiblfi tn replace in a day ami a night the exist- ■ nig fiscal system, wlricb. brougld in an annual revenue of over £22,090,000 to the State, and as much ■again to the l')epartnients and C-mn-attnes. • Beloi'iiis were necess-ttry, bift first of all a loan should be ftoafed. Tiiert il» situaliou could to n:o! by siiccGssiep taxes nr.tl an inoins tax, If Si. j.l 1.1)0 r a».fl M. OpB'ESTEii (the Minister ol Finaftcft) sucGfiefl in placing the finafidftl positien on a SOVfid "footing thfiv will ef!rtaiiily_de' serve the griuitiule of the nation, 'But ihey have, a difficult task before ttem. Both M. Rhsot aiid M._ CtTDl* r.NTKi, arc recognised authorities on .finanoe, tte latter 'having been wsporter on tho Buiket in 1904 . In M. Bourgeois (Minister ■of Foreign Affairs) and H. Pslcaksi? (Minister ot War) they haVo_ colleagues of frrc-at political experience, attcl the Cabinet as a, whole seems to be a level-beaded a'rtd oWo body of wen.