THE CRISIS IN FRANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9551, 26 July 1909, Page 3

THE CRISIS IN FRANCE.

THE LEADING FIGURES. CLEMENCEAU AND DELCASSE. "Two or three notable figures in France relieve the general dulness of the age. Either by their exceptional talents or by the strength of their character, or by some special achievement, they rise in solitary eminence above the nonentities which crowd the political stage. Of these exceptional men Georges Clemenceau is possibly the most striking," wrote Augustus Filou, in the "Fortnightly Review." The head of the Ministry that has just been defeated was born on September 28th. 1841. near the little country town of Fontenay-le-Comte. Clemenceau was un bleu by birth and education. His father, an independent gentleman and an M.D., who practised only for the poor, was the leader of the Republican party at Fonrenay, and, for that reason, was thrown into prison after the coup d'etat of 1851. "A man of scientific occupation and artistic tastes," continued the writre, "Dr. Clemenceau was an admirable specimen of the Republican ci the early days, a noble class, long vanished, whose disinterestedness and unswerving fidelity to their principlej commanded the respect of their adversaries. A staunch opponent of the Church, ho took care that his eldest boy, when at the public "school of Nantes, did not receive any religious instruction. The head of the French Ministry reminds some of his friend of the Iron Chancellor. I remember Bismarck very distinctly, and, beyond that mixture of irony and strength which is common to both, 1 cannot recognise the physical likeness to Bismarck any better than the literary likeness to Diderot. It must be confessed that the first 18 months of Clemenceau's administration have been a single success. He owes that succeeßs in a reat measure to his luck, but we are all, aware that luck servts only those who know how to use it, and that the best opportunities are wasted on the slow and the timid. He owes also much to his colleagues, particularly to M. Pichon, who has proved a valuable Foreign Minister, and to M. Briand. whose liberal and temperate, yet firm and practical, mind I has done much to bring to an end the great crisis brought about by the | Disestablishment Laws. Chiefly owing to his visits to Marienbad, I Clemenceau is now a European personality, and, since 1870, how many French statesmen have risen to the same position?" M. Delcasse, the eminent French statesman, was Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Brisson Cabinet in 1988. and retained office for eight years. During his administration he brought about the alliance with Russia, established relations of amity with Italy, drew into closer touch with Spain, and entered into relation of intimate friendship with Great Britain. With the last-named Power he negotiated « settlement of

the difficulties connected with the French occupation of Fashoda. From that the relations between the two nations grew increasingly friendly, until the agreement of April 8, 1904, embodied a series of mutual concessins. The German Government regarded M. Delcasse's policy of alliances as aiming at Germany's isolation in Europe, and in 1905 made the question of Morocco an issue for bringing about the fall of the hostile Minister. Confronted by the threat of war, the French Premier, M. Rouvier, forced the resignation of M. Delcasse on June 5, 1905.