New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-23
/ CRISIS ~ FRANCE.

The French government evidently has the
full courage Of its convictions The announce
ment that It will hereafter act independently OF
the Socialists and shape its course without re-
gard 10 their wishes or demands marks one Of
the most mOmentous crises In French political
history since Waldeck Rousseau established the
existing era. Upon its outcome depend the
continued stability and efficiency Of the Repub-
lican bloc and therefore the existence of the
present government. Waldeck- Rousseau. It will
be recalled, without abandoning or compromis-
ing his sound Repubicanism, able to, at
tract and hold the cooperation of many of the
Socialists the issues on which Republicans and
Socialists We're agreed being then superior TO
those on which they disagreed; and the same
was true in the administrations Of his sue
cesSors until the present time But now the
former great issues are disposed of. and there
are left in the foreground others upon which
Republicans ana some Socialists irrecOncilably
differ. Accordingly, NJ. CIemenceau has decided
to let the Socialists go their way, even If they
openly oppose him.
In this it cannot be said that the Republicans
are turning against their former allies and aids.
They are not doing so in any sense They are
no more anti-SOcialist now than they have al
ways been Rather it is the Socialists or some
of them who are becoming more anti-Repub-
lican than before and are turning against the
Republicans. That is true because the Social
lists who follow Messrs. Jaures and Herv6 have
recently put forward some new doctrines. or
new developments of old ones more offensive
to the republic than their former principles.
Chief among these is the doctrine which they
call anti-mitarism, but which others more truly
call anti patriotism. That is, that Frenchmen
should refuse to be soldiers, or, being soldiers,
should refuse TO fight against either domestic
disturbance or foreign Invasion Not all So
cialists have adopted that attitude, but CON
siderable faction Of them have, together with
enmity to religion and the proposal to abolish
the marriage tie and all domestic relationships.
Against such proposals IN" government neces-
sarily sets its face as flint.
What the political result will be is a matter
of speculation, though we cannot believe that
il is greatly in doubt There are those who
apprehend the dissolution of the bloc or it's re
duction to an impOtent minority. For that we
can see little ground. Rather does ii seem
probable that the bloc will remain scarcely i'm
paired in numbers and decidedly strengthened
in cohercncy and efficiency, while the Social
lists will be divided and weakened. That viii
be because considerable number of Socialists
Indignantly repudiate what they denounce rs
the cowardly and urpatriotic course of Messrs.
Jaures and Herve and their followers and they
will thus naturally be drawn or driven into a
closer cooperation with, the government than
ever before. Years ago the issue was that of
| the republic against monarchy. Then il was
| the republic against the army ring. Again. il
was the republic against clericalism. In all
these contests the republic won. with steadily