The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-23
Brilliant Socialist Will Suce s.
Premier C|emence9e -
OPPOSITION is AROUSED
Nearly All the cIemenceau Ministry
May Be Retained With the Ex-
ception of Three Men If
BRAND Accepts Place.

Paris, July 2-Aristide BRAND, brill
liant scholar. orator and avowed socialist
and architect of the final chapters of the
separation law, was summoned to the
Elysee palace tonight and asked to recon
struct the Clemenceau cabinet M. BRAND
promised his answer tomorrow, stating
during the course OF an interview that un-
less he could unite the republican groups
he would go no further.
President Fallieres, upon the advice of
the parliamentary leaders, whom he was
constitutionally obliged to consult, intend
ed to make the first offer of the premier
ship to Leon Bourgeois former minister
of foreign affairs, but the delay in the ar
rival of Bourgeois in Paris, and doubt re-
garding his acceptance of the post induced
the President to save time by offering the
premiership direct to NJ BRAND, who al
ready is consulting with his colleagues
with view to the reconstruction of the
cabinet.
This, it is expected, will be effected by
the shifting of some of the portfolios and
the retention of all the ministers except
M. Picquart Pickard and Milles-La
Croix, respectively ministers of war, navy
and colonies The programme of the re-
tiring government will be adopted, but
probably will be extended to include the
passage at the October session of the bill
relating to electoral reform. which pro-
vides for voting by departments, with
proportional representation, instead of the
present choice of deputies by arrondisse-
ments, or small districts.
Opposition Develops.
During the day considerable opposition
to M. BRAND developed, especially among
the more conservative senators and rad
icals, who dominate the party of the re-
publican majority, on the ground that the
selection of socialist at the head of the
government would be equivalent to pro-
claiming the bankruptcy of the radicals.
Sixty radical socialists. headed by Dep
uty Dubief, have voted not to support any
but cabinet headed by a radical or a
radical socialist. Consequently predictions
are freely made tonight that M. BRAND
will fail in his efforts to form a ministry
which can command a majority On the
other hand, M. Jaures, leader of the So
cialists In the chamber, and his followers
come forward with an offer of support.
Should M. BRAND succeed In forming
a cabinet, as his friends believe he will
the tendencies of the new ministry will
be distinctly more socialistic than those
of the outgoing cabinet. M. BRAND is
opposed to the dissolution of the revolu-
tionary General Federation of Labor.
which M. Clemenceau favored. M Bar
thou, minister of public works, and M
Vivoani, minister of labor, have cham
pioned socialistic doctrines. The reten-
ton of M. Pichon, the foreign minister, in
any cabinet formed would be a source of
general satisfaction.
NJ Brands cabinet would be exceed
ingly distasteful to the monied classes.
who at least know that Gemenceau was
not afraid to resist those of revolutionary
tendencies. The conservatives, however
believe that the BRAND cabinet would be
short-lived and find consolation in the
theory that the further the pendulum
swings in one direction. the further 1t will
swing back in the other.