MONDAY, JAN. 16th, 1922. THE FRENCH SENSATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1922, Page 2

MONDAY, JAN. 16th, 1922. THE FRENCH SENSATION.

Politics in France have been proverbi-

ally uncertain. The making and unmaking of Ministries is quite a regular business in the political world of that country. Last week’s dramatic political change is but the expression of the usual volatile symptoms of France. In the thought for the times to-day, the opinion of an America* pressman is quoted on the newspaper whirl in Paris. The press of the city is so prejudiced that really it should not carry any weight—but it does, and the making and unmaking of Ministries seems to be a special pastime. AT. Bfiand whose draintic resignation of the Premiership has rendered negative for the time being the work of the Cannes Conference, has had his experience as a pressman. In his salad days he was something of a radical socialist of the extremist type who loved to go pnrading along the boulevards with red flags. That, explains Mr Frank Dillon, is the ordinary transition process for all French politicians. Evidently they are all more or less unstable, and with the impulsive spirit of the French people do strange things at time. The Cannes Conference was designed chiefly to make good the Franco-British alliance. A pact or understanding was in process of arrangement between the two Premiers—French and British. The French press discussed the deliberations of the conference, and the criticism did not please M. Briand whose mnna was being undermined by the Paris newspapers. From what Mr Dillon says of the Paris press, not much notice need be taken of the criticism,

but the Premier lias the thin skin ol the national character and lie was influenced accordingly. He rushed back to the Chamber of Deputies to explain his work. He failed to grip his critical audience, and apparently in a moment of peak, dramatically announced his resignation. It looks as though the Premier deserves a spanking tor his indecent haste and petulancy. However, he reveals the French characteristics true to type. Comments on Britain in the French press and in the Chamber of Deputies are often annoying. The good feeling - Britain has manifested to France these seven years past, never seems to be realised by the nation—if the press and politicians are to be considered mouthpieces of the people. Last week a French paper had a reference to England’s contemptible army, and a few days later, the same sentiment was voiced in the French Chamber. How short indeed is the memory of France. The Kaiser lias not forgotten, we are sure, how unfortunate was his reference to Britain’s ‘‘contemptible army.” But France though saved by that array, seems still unconvinced. M. Briand corrected the Deputy who spoke, but doubtless the Deputy but re-echoed what was in the minds of others and what had been stated in the press earlier in the week. France might well ask to be saved from herself. Some of her over ardent politicians and pressmen seem bent on destroying the friendship with Britain. The present political crisis will greatly harm British sentiment towards France. The episode shows how unreliable French ipolitics are. Lacking stability, confidence is destroyed, and there is grave danger that the good feeling between the two peoples which it was possible to cement by a pact of understanding will now be considerably strained, and very difficult to restore a full and free degree of international confidence.