New-York tribune., 1908-03-08
KING EDWARDS TRIP
P1RIS TISIT POPCLAR'
U1or to the Knife Betzceen Ctemen-
ceaH ard COmbeS.
rs,,,.,,, ,r French cable to The Tribunc-l }

fcnovright 1905 ty The Tribune AS7oc'a''t-i
paris March THE enthusiastic reception ol
the King of England in Paris. aIthousi Ho -
travelling fncoenito as the Duke of Lancaster
tho ssticf,ffs between NJ Mendel. Premier CIe-
,ncnceau's secretary, and VI. Berteaux eN 'iii''7
tor Of war ard The excitement in England over
tbe Tv-eednolIth letter which has had repercus-
sion here are all striking political signs OF tii1
times and curiously coincjdent King Eo"diu .
visits to Paris have been fairly frequent oA "
cent years but this is the first time th't ne Ca"
boast of receiving a really popular Weicoi'i'
which owing 10 his incognito had the additional
r,arit of heine spontaneous and without any sus-
picion of being the policy of an organized cirque
This would tend to show that the entente cor
dale between France and Great Britain WHICH
at it's beginning was mainly diplomatic ar
rangement at least on this side OF the Cidiihei'
is now beginning to penetrate the minds of the
Partisan masses.
Comment on the Tweedmouth letter incident
fs not very pronounced in the French press. and
in official circles it is not thought that anything
serious of an international nature can come Of
it. 1t may drive a nail into the coffin Of the
Little England party in England and help 10
diminish the popularity of the English LlDeFai
government, but that is about all. The "Ecialr
and "Patrie." which whenever England is con-
cerncd may be counted on to express views
which are calculated 20 give pleasure in the Will
helnstrasse. predict that war between England
and Germany Is now imminent According TO the
..EcIair' this ridiculous adventure over an I'M
lucky piece of paper only hasten the Par
Iiamentary revolution which is preparing in
England and bring nearer the date of the in
evitab1e collision between England and Ger
many. This provocative style of writing does
not however. express the opinions of any Of the
sane or Independent portions of the French
press
NJ. Berteaux. ex-NIinister of War. who
ceeded General Andre in the Combes Cabinet,
after the latter's ears had been boxed in the
Chamber by NJ. Syveton, the Deputy of Seine,
who afterward committed suicide. is a wealthy
stock broker processing socialist opinions NJ.
Mendel the official whose BerteaUx has
pulled in the Iobbies Of the Chamber is chef
adjoint du Cabinet of NJ. CIemenceau, or deputy
chief private secretary. Berteaux accused Men
del of spying other young ministerial at
taches, whose business il is to attend their
chiefs in the lobbies of the Chamber and Of
having brought about the transfer of NJ. Levy
and NJ. Fabre secretaries. respectively, 10 the
Minister of Posts and the Minister of Commerce.
by accusing them of being hostile TO the govern
ment. Levy and Fabre shook hands it appears.
with NJ Constant. Socialist Deputy. after ne had
made a speech against a government measure
and had also been overheard planning new min
isterial combinations. Mende denied this but
Berteaux, who is pugnacous and muscular
shook him a terrier would rat, calling him
at the same time opprObrious names MendeI
tried 10 retort with kick and applied a word
Woyou) TO the Former War Minister which
means rufan of the worst class, but deputies
pushed him out Of the room. a duel will now
ensue.
The real significance of the incident, however
lies In the fact that it is the first public skir-
mtsh in a to the knife which is now about
to begin between Clemenceau and Combes. 1t
is sign also. that the ministerial majority is
beginning to- break up the more extreme ele-
ments Socialists and Radical Socialists turning
now toward their former chief Combes who has
already rallied TO his side an important section
of the Senate CIR