Jan, 31.
Whether M. Edouard Daladier will be the leader of a coalition or national party destined to guide France through a critical year or whether he is yet another Prime Minister paving the way for a coalition under M. Herriot, to whom the fingers of the prophets have been long pointing remains to be seen, M. Chautemps met with unexpected misfortune in that, having achieved unexpected' suede: his administration was suddenly confronted by apparently extraneous disasters which weakened its authority and brought about its downfall. Yet the malaise which was the most formidable enemy to M. Chautemps must itself be held responsible for some of the conditions leading to the Stavisky and Alexandre scandal Certainly there is a clear demand for energetic remedial action which only a now administration could be expected to impose to the satisfaction of the public. The turn of the wheel in French politics has been rapid of late. In the beginning of last year, after the decision to postpone the payment ofthe American War Debt had thrown M. Herriot on of office, M. Paul-Boncour took precarious charge. On January 29, M. Paul-Boncour was succeeded by M. Daladier, who has again assumed office almost on the anniversary of the start of -his previous administration. which was wrecked on budget rocks on October 24. It waa succeeded by a Cabinet under /M. Albert Sarraut who lasted less than a month, being defeat ed_on November 24 on the plan for a levy on the salaries of State employees as part of the provision made to wipe off the remaining deficit in the Budget.
Chautemps, having taken office on November 27, managed jsuecessfully to force' his. pi decesser's, proposals through the Chamber-owing partly to Sodalist abstentions, The Budget went to the Senate on December was duly passed on December 24, after a long struggle between the two houses, a fine spirit of conciliation and compromise, combined—with considerable frankness, marking the discussions. This " triumph was turned to discomfiture by the subsequent revelations at Bayonne and elsewhere. Nor is unreasonable to surmise that the ghastly railway accident. at Lagny added to the popular satisfaction with the Gov ment, Although he had gained his point, M. Chautemps was in a position of some difficulty because he had been practically. forced to agree to a reform of
Jin the budget debates the fiscal system which er out had become too complicated, The prospect of fulfilling this promise and giving proper atte tion to political duties was by no means cheering. Moreover the outlook for 1934 was grim, Votes on account for the first two months of this year were authorised by the " Chamber which also gave the 'Treasury authority for a loan to meet the maturities falling due in 1984, amounting to 8200 million francs, and a further loan' of 10,000 million franes to applied to consolidation of the floating debt. The effect of these loans on future budget arrangements would obviously be considerable. They would also tend to raise the interest on other loans. Even if M. Chai temps, therefore, had been abl to command a blue sky on the reassembling of Parliament on January 9, he would have probably been in seriously embarra: ing difficulties. before many weeks had passed, The situa tion seems to be developing in complexity, Unemployment problems have been accentuated and symptomatic of the economic strain are the reports of disorder in Paris and other places, M. Daladier is a man of considerable force of character, His states manlike qualities were highly appreciated at home and abroad during his last nine-months' administration, He managed hold the balance between the Right and the Left in the Cham-ver and, incidentally, he seemed impress Nazi Germany with a of his fairness and moderation. His bitterest opponents fare the socialist group led by 'M. Blum. This is not surprising. Last October on the occasion of the debate which led to his nation, M. Daladier per himself to indulge in very candid observations which were specially directed against M. Blum, The reported readiness of M. Renaudel, the leader of the dissentient Sodalist group, to serve in the new Cabinet is not surprising, M. Renaudel-made a remarkable defence of M. Daladier in the October debate referred to. He said of M. Daladier's administration: silt is the first Government jing our security with inter national ce-operation rather than military force; the first to take steps against the domination of economic cliques; the first to lay hands, however' timid, on the Production of weapons of war...
That formula may perhaps be the guide to M. Daladier in the framing of France's foreign policy, under the difficult econo mic conditions lying ahead, Tu many ways it would' seem that M. Daladier is faced with the same political anxieties as those attributed in another message to Mr. Ramsay Mac-Donald, There is the need for consolidating the moderate elements in the centre parties against the threats from the extreme socialists or the fascists,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.