FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1919, Page 5

FRANCE.

• THE-NEW ELECTORAL SYSTEM. AROUSING GREAT INTEREST. By-Telegraph— Press Assn.—Copyright. Paris, Oct. 7. Never since the fall of the Empire bave the parliamentary elections caused such speculation. This is owing to the fact that the voting will be by departments instead of districts; 87 electoral departments will replace 600 districts, and the elector, instead of voting for a Bingle deputy may vote for as many as are allocated to his department. The date of the elections will probably be in November.—ReuterParis, October 8. The elections for the Senate are fixed for December 21, those for the Chamber for January H, and the Presidential election for February 3.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ••, [The French have had two systems ol voting, one described as scrutin d'arrondissement, is voting for a single candidate as in this Dominion, and the other scrutin de liste, voting for a number of candidates, whose names are on a list. The latter system has replaced the forr mer, but apparently no attempt has, been made, to introduce the proportional of calculating the results.] . NAVAL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME. GENERAL STRIKE AT BREST.' Tlje naval, construction programme comprises six light cruisers of 4000 to BOftp tons and six fast destroyers of 2000 tons. A general strike, as the outcome of the metal workers' dispute is paralysing the port of Brest. —Aus and N.Z. Cable Assn. THE FIRST GERMAN LIE. ON WHICH WAR WAS DECLARED. Paris, Oct. 9. A court-martial acquitted Engineer Unne on charges of bribery. thine, who returned from America, told a remarkable story disclosing for the first time, the German lie on which the declaration of war against France was based. , , Unne was director of an aeroplane company which arranged a'flight to Constantinople. The aeroplane descended in Bavaria through engine trouble at the end of July, 1914. After repairs. the Germans compelled him to return to France, stipulating that he should travel via Nnremburg.- The pilot was amazed to find himself fired at by the Nuremberg guns. He denied that the French aeroplane dropped, bombs. .' '. • The German Government adhered to the,fable, which it gave as a casus belli. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. '