New-York tribune., 1902-05-18
AT TIE FRENCH CAPITAL.
COMPOSITION OF THE CHAMBERLAIN
OF VI. wAIDECK-RoUssEAU
RETIREMENT-SYM
FOR MARTINIQUE.
FOR MARTINIQUE.
Copyright; 1902: BY The Tribune Assoeiaflon9
TSpecial TO The Tribune by French Gable. J

and moral unity than ever before. II Is no" re-
garded certain that NJ. Waldeck-Rousseau
and his Cabinet without single change IN
portfolio will present themselves before the new
Chamber which will assemble a fortnight from
to morrow. and where the Ministry is assured
Of a working majority of from seventy to elshty'
The composition of the incoming Chamber is
pretty accurately weighed and sifted. Ihe ng-
ures indicate that the advanced section of the
Left will be stronger than before. although there
are only forty-nine instead of hfty-seven social
ist Deputies The Radical Socialists have in
creased from a to "a and the Radicals from
1O4 to 100. The Reactonaries and Nationahsts
are nearly equal II of the former 70 AZ or the
latter.
The one hundred Progressive Republicans, who
follow the conservative protectionism of NM.
Meline and Ribot will form body OF opposl-
ton on all questions which do not Involve the
existence Of a republican form Of government
Indeed. the Progressive Republicans Woulo
crystallze into an effective and heathfui consul
tutonal opposition, understood IN the ChltVo
States and Great Britain, were II not TOT 'ne
Reactionaries and Natcnalists who are respect
ivelv tbs avowed and disguised enemies of the
state and whose votes are utilized by the Fro
gressists under the adret leadership OF NM
Meine and Ribot.
The Con,position Of the new Chamber ADDS
greatly 10 the prestige Of Leon Bourgeois, but
the Radical Republican leader has formally re-
fused 10 enter into competition with NJ wal
deck Rousseau. and declares that the sole CON
dition in which he would take ONCE would ne IN
a cabinet in which NJ. Wadeck- Rousseau was
premier It is known that Mime. WaldecR-Rous-
seau who has always exercised great ihhuehee
over her husband insists that he comply with
his physicians injunctions and retire from once
On the other hand President Loubet and Leon
Boureeeis and the bulk Of the Republican party
imperativelv urge him to remain in office NJ
Waldeck- Rousseau himself has given no inklng
of his intentions but ii is felt certain that II ne
returns to private life and repose it will not be
before October.
The French and Partisan public, ~ hrst dazeo
and paralyzed by the magnitude Of the st
Pierre catastrophe has gradually worked up
into a pitch Of charitable enthusiasm that In
spite of the fact that Martinique is long way
from the bouevards, now fairly equals the emo
ton caused by the destruction Of the Charity
Bazaar some years ago by fre. It is gratifying
to Americans TO report that great waves or
sympathy have been elected from all classes
throughout France by what is universally
spoken Of here as the spontaneous initiative
energy and rapidity with which President Roose-
Welt and the people of the United States srasped
the situation and acted with a superb outburst
If generosity before the French public realized
what had happened
It is instructive. alse 10 note how the artsuc
and literary instincts of the French people al
ways come 10 the top. For what induces the
public to open their purses in national suoseTip-
tions almost as much as do the narrowing ac-
counts Of suffering of the victims are the MS
torical traditions II is pointed out that among
claims Martinique has upon French sympathy,
II was in that island that two women passed
their early youth and educated who
afterward exercised paramount influence
upon and became the wiver Of the two most
glorious of French rulers-Louis XIV and the
first Napoleon In the illustrated papers to-day
describing Martinique. portraits Of Nine. ia
AIaintenon and Empress Josephine appear IN
graceful prominence.
The French papers also point out how Mar
tinioue was calamity defended against the Eng
lish bv the son of the Rochsmbeau whose statue
is IA be unveiled in Washington on May "a.
Historic "reminiscences such as these enlist
French charitable sympathy, and are inter
spersed with the accounts of the suffering ana
want in the French island colony, and have a
widespread effect in swelling the subscription
lists.
rrg,and's return "a pretectonism ellcits vide
snread comment in financial circles. The
,sadinq psners devote editorials 10 what is
generally considered here a most imper-
tant DEVELOPMENT. likely 20 cause new ad-
iustment of European markets lie Temps
saws. The South African war is beginning 10
hear fruit The free trade England OF cebden'
Bright and Gladstone. the country Whlch con-
sidered free trade religion and which looked
upon that policy not only as one OF the essentlal
causes of the Unprecedented prosperity of the
last fifty years. but also as the Alpha ana
omega of social wisdom and the economic pan
ha turned her back upon the
daemas Of the Manchester school and has to
return to protective duties, to diferential
tariffs even TO the mercantile system and the
balance IF trade This miracle has been accom-
pIished by the budget. with its increasing in
definite necessities, with the expenses of war
and with the heavy army and navy estimates
The present time is not one for policy of fiscal
reform worthy Of Peel Gladstone"
The eliminating work Of Wagner's tetralogy,
under its French title. lie Crepuscule Ges
Deux." was produced Friday night for the first
time in France at the Theatre Chateau d'Eau
before one of the most brilliant and enthusias-
tic OF audiences. Although the singers with
the exception of Mile Litvinne, who took
the part of Brunnhde. and Mile. Olitzka, as
waltraute. were scarcely above me6iocrty
although the stage setting was such might
be considered elementary In BayreUth, Berlin,
London or New York, the occasion WAS meme
rable as being a genuine ovation of mundane
Paris and as a spontaneous desire to effaee the
stigma of the scandalous riots organized by the
fashionable set. headed by the members of the
Jockey Club. on March 13, 1861, when with
howls and dog whistles they suppressed the first
representation of "Tannhauser," nearly break
ing the composers heart The Wagnerian man
Hesitation last night also atones for the out
hurst Of the street ruffians which prevented the