Evening star., 1912-01-10

PARIS. January 10.-Theophile Del.
casse, until now minister OF marine In
the French cabinet. has been offered and
has accepted the portfolio Of minister
for foreign affairs. in succession to Jus
tin de Selves, who resigned yesterday
after a dramatic scene during the meet
ing of the committee Of the senate on
foreign affairs.
1t is rumored today that other changes
may occur in the ministry and specula-
tion is rife as to who will join the cab
met 1t was the cabinet breaker -
Georges Clemenceau, who brought about
the ministerial crisis. as he has done on
many previous occasions. He has been a
. thorn in the side of Premier Caillaux for
some time. and was aware that there
was some dissension between the foreign
minister and the premier.
When during the meeting Of the senate
committee NJ. Caillaux denied that there
had been secret negotiations betweeL
France and Germany on the subject OF
feet and hurled the question at NJ. de
Selves: will you confirm the premier .
statement?"
Refuses to Serve With Premier.
After some hesitation on the part OF
NJ. de Selves, the foreign minister re-
piled that he could not answer the ques-
ton, because he was tied between q
double duty-the telling of the truth and
the salvage Of the interests Of his coun-
try. Later on M. de Selves Informed
the premier that he could not remain
with him in the cabinet, and handed him
his resignation.
Theophile Delcasse, who once more has
fo1x oh q nff hn o< M
foreign affairs, has had probably more
experience in that department than any
other statesman in France. He held the
portfolio of foreign affairs from 1898 un-
til 1906. during which period five differ
ent cabinets came and went. Mr.. Del
casse would in all probability have con-
tinued in Office even longer but for the
fact that his policy. especially in re-
gard to Morocco, was viewed with such
disfavor by the German emperor thai
the two countries almost came to blows
| The German emperor. after his visit to
Morocco March 81. 1905, said in a speech
that French domination in that country
would not be tolerated. On his return
| to Germany the emperor, 1t Is said, de-
manded NJ. Delcasse's retirement from
| the French cabinet His resignation fol
lowed shortly afterward. and the rela.
| tions of the two countries Improved, an
agreement being finally reached during
! the Algeciras conference in. 1905.
His Record as Peacemaker.
While he held office as foreign minister
| NJ. Delcasse was successful In forming
friendly relations between France and
several European countries, including
Russia, Great Britain and Spain. -
M. Delcasse is f1fty-nine years old and
started his career as q newspaper writer
He was elected to the chamber Of deputies
| in 1880. and soon became q junior mem.
ber Of the ministry. as under secretary o1
state for the colonies. He has always dis.
played "a remarkable aptitude for admin
Investigation Probable
| PARIS, January 9.-The resignation Of
Justin de Selves threatens to be followed
by a general parliamentary investigation
and ministerial upheaval.
The crisis has been brewing ever since
| the treaty was signed. due to repeated
allegations that the French ambassador
Jules Cambon, did not have free hand
in the negotiations with Germany, and
| that other negotiations. Of which the
/ foreign Office and ambassador were igno-
rant were being secretly conducted be.
tween the two countries, concerning rail.
road concessions in the kongo. Kamerur
| and Morocco.
1t is alleged a trying scene was enacted
In the lobby of the senate committee
room, to which Premier Caillaux, For:
eign Minister de Selves and former Pre-.
mier Clemenceau withdrew. NJ. Clemen.
ceau according to friends OF M. de Sci
| YES, reproached Premier Caillaux In vio.
lent terms for fostering secret negotia.
tions, OF which M. Clemenceau said h<
i had been for long time informed. II
was at this juncture that the foreign min.
lister frankly told the premier that he
could no longer sit beside him in the
cabinet. and therefore resigned.
i Germany Il Interested.
BERLIN, January ~1O.-The fall oi
Foreign Minister de Selves in connec.
ton with the Franco-German agree.
ment and the selection Of Theophilt
iDelcasse as his successor at the French
ministry of foreign affairs has excited
interest in Germany second only to thu
retirement Of NJ. Delcasse in 1906.
while some Of the newspapers at.
tack M. @Delcasse and anticipate tha-
trouble between the two countries viii
occur in connection with the ratifica
ton of the Moroccan agreement, tn,
attitude of the government remain,
! the same as was set forth in semi
; ofTicial article which appeared in tn,
Cologne Gazette July s last It wa,
/ then stated 1--WE have no reason 70
J regret IL a person with real per
lsonality ike that OF n Delcasss sheul,