New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-18
THE NEWS OF EUROPE.
n RIBOT'S FIRM ATTITUDE AGAINST THE
ENEMIES OF FRANCE.

,rprxcE-yE-TERD,Y' CABINET COUNCIL
THE uONE.RULE DILEMMA-TIIE DE-
MAvD FOR A PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
lBY CABLE TRisuNE.l
Copyrioht 1922 By The Tribune As'ocfaHon'
Iondon Dec. lit is NJ Rbots second week
=, Office and already he has earned the gratitude
of the French Republic. II 1t is too mnch 10
cay that he has saved it, it is not To much to say
that he has borne 1T safely throuaN crisis full OF
noru lie has proved himself Minister OF
Sanacity and courage, alike in the Chamber and
T. the Cabinet If he barely saved himself in
.ho Chamber. he has since shown the country
that the strength of Ministry is not always
roerelv numerical The arrest and imprisonment
~ the Panama directors is an act which impresses
r-once far more than any Parliamentary success
or any majority 1t makes the events of Thurs
dav seem already old Yet, but for NJ Koots
sooacity. elooucnce and firm attitude before the
Chamber on Thursday, the majority woali have
boen AGAINST the Ministry; the Ministry would
have resigned II is not certain that President
Cornot would n0r have resigned, and the gangs
Of conspirat0rs who plotting against the he
public would have been one step nearer the shane-
ful and scandaous success at which they aim.
NJ Ribo,s attitude is the more remarkable be-
cause last week he seemed ready to surrender 10
NJ Brisson He did surrender nearly everything
,;;a fouaticol ch; irman of the Panama Committee
demanded. 1t was at first left doubtful whether
the Pourouery dc BOis>ern bill, about which thc
FIGHT RACED on Thursday, would not be granted. lt
is also true that there came later doupie ueci'"
tion against il, but man knew now lar the
Ministers would carry their opposition III Il
,rue. Also that vi. BrisSon, at the beginning OF
Thnrsday's deb@te told the Chamber that he
tbi He ayOwpd
the committee had already ample powers, asked
for the adjournment of the debate and then
casually observed that he should still support tho
nrincple of the bill, principle which is an open
defiance of the Constitution.
The Minister of Justice, TO whom belongs part
NJ 1hursday's honors, met that with PLAIN
statement that the bill would strip him oil hl'
right which is also his duty, to direct judicial
proceedings. and deliver this right ana du'y INTO
irresponsible hanos. NJ. Bourgeois first ana thch
NJ Rihot put it before all things as question
Of confidence or no confidence in the Government
"W, are either to govern or to let NJ hiis'oh
govern We prefer to govern
Tins challenged. the enemies Of the RcpupEc
and the enemies of the conservative moder"e'
rational and only possible republic once more
Joined hands The Right and the Extreme Leu
for the hundredth time united in an unhOly coali-
ton, The Right is against the Republic any re-
nublic. the Extreme Left is against any repdblc
which will not do its bidding. The debate eoo@d
and flowed. AZ one moment the Ministry had
majority of 800, at the next they h1d majority
of six No government can be carried on WIN
,oarsi, so narrow AS that were that the true or
normal majority.
The best that can be- said is that the conSplra-
tors Of both extremes have done their worst ami
failed. and rays of reason may yet return 10 inc
Left For the Left knows well as the centre
which gave the Ministry It's slender majority
that what NJ Ribot said is true and that undec
the pretense of unearthing the iniquities OF
Panama. there is deep-lnid persistent and stead
iy developing plot for the destruction OF the Re
public itself.
The arrest yesterday of NJ. Char'es de lHsseps
NJ. Fontanes and VI. Sans-Leroy is one more proof
not only that NJ. Ribot means TO govern, but
knows how NJ Brisson's defeat in the Chamber
is followed by an act of Ministerial vigor which
goes far 10 put the Panama Committee into III
proper place. This is a very different business
from the former prosecution. That was based on
maadminslat.On Of the cOmpanys affairs lhls
il a charge of corrupting public functlOnarics
The accused men have been arrested and are
locked up in the Mazas Prison, each in separate
cell and in strict secusion. Doubts are expressed
whether the Government have evidence 70 justify
this step. As they risking their own political
fortunes and the fortunes of the Republic, II Is
probable that they have. Henri Cottu, who was
also wanted, has fled.
Plris. which all the week has supped full Of
sensations has now sensation which exceeds
all others. 1t Is seen that NJ Ribot can be in
earnest as well as VI. Briroon, and that VI. Ribot
is perhaps more than match for the austere
chairman ~ no Panama CoUutiftee of whom
citable people were beginning 10 talk as the last
refuge OF French virtue, and, rather inconss,-
entity, as a coming Robespierre. There ought
10 be no politics III such an AFFAIR. bat there
are. and since game has TO De- played with
these counters AMI Cor these tremendous stakes,
the pnric Lies 10 see ii played we'll. Now, at
any rate matters have reached point where
none can doubt that the mysteries and iniqui-
ties OF Panama are 10 be dragged into broad
daylight Interest in the Panama proceedings
was increasing, quite Independently OF the Mill
istcria crisis and before the arrest Of NJ de
Iesseps and VI Rouvicr's resignation. The con-
NictiOn that Baron Rcinach committed suicide,
the momentary hope that " Clrmonccau might
be implicatcd-these ana other incidents of the
week were much fuel 70 the French fire
W. Maynard said fortnight ago that all this
scandal would profit nobody but the enemies Of
the kcpublic. He did what he could 10 prove
his own words true. If his assault on NJ. Clenen-
ceau had not been met by W. Clcmenccaus denial
and demand for proof. which is not forthcoming,
the very men who expect 10 reap political ad-
vantage from their revelations might have been
among the first 10 suffer.
VI. Rouvier's fate still hangs in the balance.
That he la, been indiscreet is clear; that he had
any share in any Of The Panama inlquities Is not
proy.d. In France, however and amid such mad
excitement as now prevails, suspicion is almost
az damaging as conviction.
The Army bill has at last get through one
early stage OF is trouble in The ltcichstag, and