FRENCH POLITICS

Southland Times, Issue 20082, 20 January 1927, Page 5

FRENCH POLITICS

TROUBLE ARISING VITAL DIFFERENCES IN CABINET GERMANY BONE OF CONTENTION (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Rec. 8.20 pm.) London, January 19. Political circles have lately been concerned over rumours of vital differences between M. Briand and M. Poincare, affecting the stability of the French Cabinet. These have been based on the supposition that M. Briand, in the interests of peace, was prepared to give way to Germany to an extent which M. Poincare would not countenance. The matter appears to have reached a crisis in the Cabinet yesterday, after which M. Briand declarer! that Cabinet and himself were in complete accord, the only discord being that created outside.

Curiously enough the Daily Telegraph’s Berlin correspondent touches on this question at the end of a message dealing with disarmament, in which it is argued that the demands made by the French involve the fate of the entire German industries.

The correspondent says that it is recognised that the French internal situation necessarily acts as a drag on the development of the Locarno policy. Full confidence is still placed in the sincerity of M. Briand, but it is recognised that M. Poincare’s success in bringing about the appreciation of the franc has somewhat altered the balance of power in the Cabinet in his favour, to the disadvantage of M. Briand.— A. and N.Z.