Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-09

The ministerial crisis at Brussels has
GRally terminated in the nomination a.
successors to the cabinet
Ministry's Of n. schollasrt Of the fol-
.,,. lowing: N. de BroQueville.
1AVuAeW' president OF the council:
NJ. Davignon. foreign affairs: NJ Berger.
interior; NJ. Levie. industry and labor;
NJ. Poullet. science and arts: NJ. Carton
de Wharf, Justice: NJ. Renkin. colonies;
Gen. Hellebaut war: NJ. Thibaut. public
works and agriculture.
The task OF the new ministry. II should
be said. Is a most delicate. IL not an I'm
possible one. II presents q new phase in
the problem OF parliamentarism. the eff
hcacy OF which is being discussed in po-
litical circles and in the press.
NJ. Charles de BroQueville Is about fifty
years or age and entered parliamentary
life for the first time in 1892 az Catholic
deputy from Turnhout. the most conser-
vative district Of Antwerp. He has here
tofore held aloof from the quarrels and
divisions of the young and the old right.
and he was therefore in good posture
TO succeed to a portfolio as minister Of
of NJ. Schollaert. which succeeded the
resignation Of that Of Baron Descamps
and NJ. Delbeke.
When MN, Cooreman and Liebaert de-
clined the kings proposition NJ. de Bro
Queville was chosen because he had not
been compromised by any association
with the factions OF the party. very
desirable quality at this moment His
special mandate. therefore. is as peace
maker. The cabinet of BroQueville differs
very materially. therefore, from the
Schollaert cabinet, and may live on until
the next elections upon condition that II
does not not bring up the school question,
which wrecked the Schollaert cabinet
The right is In state of great nerv-
BUSINESS. while the left Is jubilant over
its increased authority. The
Belgian liberals and socialists have
,po~+;., In common accord abandon
ed all questions that divide
them In parliament. NJ. Paul Hymans,
liberal leader. and NJ. Paul Vandervelde,
socialist leader. have formed pact to re-
main "immutably united" The socialists
have promised their support without re-
serve to the liberals. and the latter have
frankly rallied to the principle of univer-
sal suffrage. There are still some doubts
remaining in the more moderate elements
of the left, but the buoyancy provoked
by the hope Of defeating the Catholic
party has tended to unite the opposition
entirely.
The immediate purpose of this coalition
ls 10 deprive the Catholic party OF all
representation In the councils OF the la rye
cities Should the de Broqueville cabinet
assume q combative attitude the op.
position Will then seek to introduce into
parliament the question of the unifica-
ton OF the electoral laws, on which The
right Is hopelessly divided.
The usual mfnfSt erial declaration af the
new cabinet> Is awaited with curiosity.
II Is the opinion Of those who profess 10
know that NJ. de BroQueville will only
express generalities and beyond the sub
]ect OF the budget and the cloture OF the
session July 20 he will say nothing. 1.
by hazard he should undertake to do more
ne might provoke renewal of the crisis
which has just closed.
This Is the first time since 1884 that the
LETT parties have succeeded In overthrow
ing Catholic cabinet. Preceding crises
have had their origin not in the success
OF the left parties, but in the divisions
In the right. the liberals and socialists
being only spectators. Now on the con-
trary the right stood for the school bin
which would assure to the free congrega-
ton schools an endowment OF twenty
million francs. It was the impossiblity
OF voting that law that precipitated the
ness Of the right, which the elections OF
1910 gave only majority of six votes.
4 4
Another unusual feature OF the actual
cabinet crisis is the part. taken by the
-. king. Usually ministers
The Kings are not consulted until
An+;r;%r the crisis has been Off
1octi'lty.. cially opened. Contrary 70
that usage King Albert called NM
Cooreman, president of the chamber, and
others before NJ. Schollaert had expressed
his intention Of resigning. This inter
vention of the king. outside Of and above
political parties. characterizes the spirit
which dominates the new reign and illus
science and initiative
According to the. Temps Of Paris .I
Schollaert leaves office the victim OF
the sectarianism OF his friends, who
Obliged him to present a project Of school
reform based upon an unconstitutional
principle of a forced subsidy of the state
to the free confessional schools Ac-
cepting the lesson OF 1910 as a warning
Of defeat NJ. Schollaert did not. dare face
the issue.
NJ. Schollaert would have avoided the
danger OF employing q second time the
tactics which availed formerly in the
case Of the military law and a coalition
majority. Liberal and socialist who had
perhaps accept this concession and de
eide to vote his project, but we have
seen how complete was his deception.
lnasmuch as We may have occasion to
recur to the question of change in Bel.
gtan ministries, We may recall the events
OF 1908 when on January NJ. Schollaert,
then president Of the chamber. was called
to power after the death of NJ de Trooz
by the king as the only man capable OF
uniting the right. The Kongo question
nj nd dar
parties. The military question was being
discussed, the left and the young right
demanded personal and obligatory mil
itary services, the Catholic right insisted
upon the volunteer system. although II
had been condemned by experience
NJ. Schollaert adopted a policy of con-
cessions which resulted in his securing
the vote of liberals, socialists and the
young right. But this coalition vote In
1908 won for NJ. Schollaert the implacable
hostility of NJ. Woeste. but ii was neces-
sary in 1910. in the presence of an cleo
ton peril, that the right should show al
unbroken front against the left. The re-
suit of that election was majority only
of six votes.
The Temps thinks the Catholic party
has received a death blow in the recent
conflict. The party, 1t says. is worn
out and threadbare by reason OF
twenty-seven years of power. The
hour of its action has irredeema-
Is divided The young right holds NJ.
Woeste responsible for the intervention
of the king in the crisis. The left tri-
umphs with much noisy manifestation al
Brussels and In the large cities, while the
final action is awaited in the expected
increase of members OF the chamber,
which it is assumed will augment the
force Of the opposition and constitute II
governing force in which the Young
right will be counted. This force will not
4. ic m he