Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY. JUNE 3, 1919. FRANCES POLICY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1985, 3 June 1919, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY. JUNE 3, 1919. FRANCES POLICY.

THE Gone nil Association oi (Students of Paris organised a line manifestation in honour of victory, which look place at the Sorbonne. This meeting' presented an otlicial character, -as it was presided over by M. Paul Deschanel, President of tJic Chamber of Deputies, assisted by M. Raymond Poincare, President of the'French Republic, and M. Laferre, Minister of Public Instrueti(»n. In the course of this assembly, M. Ueschancl made a speech, the importance of which is capital, and in which he dealt with several of the most serious questions which Franco will have to tackle, now that the war is over. M. Deschane! fearlessly broached the religious question. He first strove to determine the reason for the long-continued struggle whielji has always existed in France between divil and religious power, and to establish the why and wherefore of those innumerable pragmatic• sanctions, concordates, separation of Church and State, of which one finds so many examples in the course of French history. M. Deschanel deems that one of the principal difficulties consists in the fact that, unlike those states in which the “government of the church coincides with that of the nation —such as the Anglican and orthodox churches —and those other states .in which the very multiplici - ty of the different churches establishes a due balance between them, in France the limits of national government do not coincide with those of the spiritual authority, which is distined, and this results in conflicts.” “And,” added M. Desehancl, tactfully, “the art of polities consists in smoothing down these difficulties.” M. Deschanel then went on to declare that those old words made for old ideas, “tolerance and intolerance,” should be u-

bolishcd from the French vocabulary. These formulas which implied that one party must- suffer from the other, should, bo replaced by the word ‘‘respect.’-’ “If this respect--is sincere on both sides,” he continued, “we shall already have done anuch to insure social peace and for the greatness of the country.” In another part of his speech in which lie touched upon the constitutional question, M. Doschanel pointed out that in 44 years France changed it.? Ministry 51) times, whilst during the same period England had only had 13 different Ministries. Speaking of the task with which the French Government will have to grapple, M. Desehanei mentioned that of having to “ascertain the best means—by marking more strictly the separation of powers —by which one can remedy Ibis instability which engenders incompetency and which would prove funeste to ail human enterprise.” M. Desehanei then retraced the role of France in the advancement of the culture of the world, and deplored the fact that through lack of organisation —such as that practised, for example, in German \ —she should have allowed herself in innumerable eases to be robbed of her finest" discoveries. “Franco, in natural science as well as in literature, has been the great initiator of the world. In the Seventeenth Century she possessed Descartes and Pascal; in the Eighteenth, Lavoisier; in the Nineteenth, Pasteur. Yet wc have too often allowed ourselves to be robbed of our discoveries. We have not known how to undertake our propaganda, Germany far surpassed, ns in the organisation of universities,- of industries, and of commerce. Let us therefore take advantage of'the lesson she has given us, and perfect our methods.” With regard to the economic question which so deeply preoccupies nil classes at the present moment, M. Desehanei made several categorical declarations. In his opinion, Germany will greatly assist France in balancing her budget, by paying her-- the.ransom she owes her. jVI, Desehanei Hum went oji to stale tlmt he hoped that his countrymen would hike advantage of victory to increase national production, and also that both in industry and commerce they would reveal a greater boldness. * He hopes also that after (be war France would change her economic methods Justus she changed her military methods during the war. M. Desehanei also urged upon his listeners the necessity of taking every advantage of France's unique geographical situation, and of making the commerce of Central Europe converge towards the French ports of (be Atlantic, by new systems of railroads and canals conceived according to new requirements. M. Deschanel concluded' his patriotic vibrant speech by expressing the hope that France was at last going to accomplish the groat double aim which has always been the chief preoccupation of her greatest kings and politicians—namely, to consolidate her iutluence on the libine and on (he Mediterranean.'