NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 47, 19 November 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

The announced result of the French elections—a victory for the. political forces headed by M. Ci.emencuai;—should do something to clear the air, not only in France, hut over a great part of Europe. The party of disorder which seeks a road to favour in trading upon popular discontent is strongly organised in France, hut satisfactory evidence, is now afforded that there are limits to its influence, even in a time of extreme hardship aaid difficulty when a large proportion of the people arc impatiently demanding improved conditions which can only be attained by laborious effort. Threats are attributed to the French extremists that their political failure will be followed by an appeal to violence, but all thn forces of order in a country which is as definitely a bulwark of civilisation now as during the war will be enormously strengthened by the, election result. The test is the more decisive since the elections were carried out under a system of proportional representation in big constituencies. Legislation of the present year substituted this system for that of single-member constituencies. Such features of uncertainty as attended the election arose mainly from the extensive mingling of town and country electors, but when details arc made available it will no doubt appear that the vital factor was a solid vote by the peasants in the interests of stability .and sound government. The French peasantry constitutes nearly three-fourths of the population and its ruling tendency, little affected by feverish agitation in the larger towns, has been to support the existing Republican form of government. Such supnort as the peasants have given to Radical Socialists lias been given with an eye mainly to the subdivision of church lands nnd such large holdings as remain. The late Chamber of Deputies was elected before the war., in Mav. 1914, and in ordinnry course would have gone to the country four years later.

Apart from its bearing on acute domestic issues, the outcome of the French elections is a triumphant vindication of M. Clemenceau's policy in war and peace, and of the peace settlement he so potently influenced. The veteran statesman, according to late reports, contemplates retiring from Ministerial office in the near future, and he has been named as a probable candidate for the Presidency. The election to that office falls due early next year, and no one is better entitled to succeed its present occupant than the man who piloted France through the supreme ordeal of the war. In spite of his great age, however, and well as he has earned the highest honour it is in the power of his countrymen to bestow, it ie not impossible thai M. Clejiencrau may yet be called upon to continue in his present post. Should the revolutionary element attempt to gi'vs effect to its threats of armed violence, it is more than likely than France would again turn to M. CtEMENOEAt; as she did in the crisis of the war.

Onu' a few days ago tho local Wardisl organ was exposed in a mendacious attempt to suggest that the decision of the Government to compensate the butter producers for their losses under the equalisation scheme was a party bribe offered to country electors. The answer to this invention was, and is, that ■Sin Joseph Wpd, when the ques tion was raised in the House, endorsed the proposed payment, and said that it was "a course similai to that which I have publicly urged. v The journal in question is not, however, to 'be turned by exposure from such tactics. Yesterday, in its election notes, it repeated the exploded allegation, an J did il; by mutilating a fair and honest statement of the case (so far as the attitude of parties is concerned) by one of its parly contemporaries, the LytleUon Times. The observations of the latter paper and the mutilated nnotation spe.ik for themRplvc»_of the methods of the local AVardist journal:

"N.Z. TIMES." We liope wo shall

"LYTTF.T/rON TTMBS."

not be accused of AVu hopo we slw'l party bias when we not bo su-uiiscd of criticise Mr. Mas- party bins- when we soy's assertion that, criticise Sir. Muslim payments from sey's assertion that the Consol-'dated tlio payments from Fund to butter the Consolidated producers "Inid re- Fund to 'nutter suited in cheaper producers "hnd rebutter to the pub- suited in cheaper lie." .. . .All Hie butter to the pubFame, Hie subsidy lie." As a matter is absolutely wrong of fact, so far as <md uusnnnd, inor- party feeling noes, allv and economi- Sir Joseph Ward colly; ami it has supports the pavTiofc made butter ment, and It was cheaper to tly , not challenged by piiblic. nny memher of any .party in the House. All the same, the pubsidyiq alisMutn. ly wrone and impound, etc.

A cause which hns tp bo supported by such pitiful .deceit must, need'a lot of bukffvrinsr up.