The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
POLITICS In FRANCE
BRINGING ON CRISIS
bureaucratic !n~eptitude in
War Management Stirs Up
Bitter Fight.
nLLERAND THE r
.u..,, ro,,,,po,dence to THr suS.

nacer's explanation OF the sociai nier-
.,cby Of the world is that: First, there
"a the German cavalry officer; second.
,here is the German cavalry officer.
third. there Is the German cavalry ON
!, Then there Ii nobody. The French
=. .,umerating their enemies may say
,ha, First, there are the Germans Sec
ond there are the Germans. and third.
there are the Germans.
Then there Is French politics, The
rrench are putting up a splendid light
.,airat the Germans. They have them
IN chancery, TO use a fighting term. But
their politics, which they routed In the
ar.t few months of the war. are getting
hack on them. For many weeks now
shore has been a more or less acute and
.nnpressed crisis. A lot OF bad blood
has collected and the boil will have to
be lanced.
French politics in peace time are like
n iIgsaw puzzle OF a thousand scattered
pieces, but II you look for the lines OF
self-interest as you do for the bits OF
rcd blue or yellow or the bit of brick
wall or the edge pieces Of a puzzle. II is
not very difficult to put politics together
and 10 get the who'll picture clear. Now
.aays IL is not so easy. for all the pieces
OF the picture are pretty much the same
and ALI bear the same markings. the lines
81 patrio1sm and the desire for speedy
victory.
MiIIerand the Target.
II is the belief OF large numbers in
Parliament, and particularly among the
advanced Radicals and Socialists,
that victory will be delayed UNI
less the Minister of War. Mil
lerand. retires from office. In Russia
a. shoot thu NiniatRF of War
who failed to provide the army with Its
proper she'll supplies. In France they
have calmed down since the days when
the guillotine or the lamppost was the
solving instrument of crisis. They don't
ask for shooting yet. They are only
looking for Millerand's official and
m~etaphorical blood.
The cause of this bloodthirstiness can
not be revealed In all its details for mil
tary reasons. But broadly outlined II
is this: From August until December
Parliament behaved like a good little
boy. II was neither seen o heard.
When the Government went to bordeaux
an attempt was made to hold a sitting,
but the only available premises were a
music hall In which a revue called
-Smile' was extensively advertised.
Nobody felt much like smiling In those
days and Parliament felt that perhaps
n had better keep quiet a little longer.
for in France since the war politicians
have realized what other people could
have told them hong before, that they
are not regarded as the saviors or pill
lars Of the State.
Individually they tried to busy them
selves about the war, and their well
meant efforts found anything but a SYM
pathetic welcome from the War Min
lister. who more or less politely told Par
lament to mind its own business and
leave him to look after his business of
the war.
BY December Parliament decided that
after all Government was in a sort OF
a way the business for which IL existed.
1t met in Paris and settled down to
work. Day after day Millerand and
Prime Minister Viviani attended the
secret meetings OF the army committees
Of the two Chambers and gave an
account Of their stewardship. As in
quiry became increasingly searching
more and more evidence was obtained
Of mnddle and incapacity in certain
departments of the Ministry OF War.
The proceedings OF the committees be-
car NE a fight between Parliament and
the bureaucracy Of the War Depart
ment
New Ideas Not Wanted.
The permanent official in France is
a permanent nuisance. New ideas never
come to him and he refuses those OF
others. The suggestions for improve
ment made by the committees were re-
scented as Intrusion and impudent
meddling In the private business of the
permanent official. When the officials
were forced to yield to the pressure
placed upon them and accept n new
idea they did their best to ''saboter" the
improvement.
The War Minister, Millerand. who's
career was made as a lawyer, thought
II mis- role to act as counsel for he
defence OF the permanent officials of his
department, M did 80 with a vigor
from which tact was frequently and
noticeably absent. Deputies seeking to
remedy the grave defects of the army
medical service. for instance. found
then selves unable to make any impress
sion, and in the effort the hostility OF
Parliament to Millerand grew daily.
The committees drafted long reports
which have been kept secret. or as much
secret as Is possible In France-that Is
10 say that some thousand members OF
Parliament and journalists whispered
extracts from them TO their wives and
friends.
Parliament. seriously alarmed by the
state OF affairs revealed for the country's
sake, also got frightened for Its W
position. In this country OF Government
by groups. where every Ministry Is In
a measure representative of the whole
Chamber. Parliament Is an entity and
bears a peculiar amount OF RESPONSE
billty for the actions OF the Executive.
IL they. knowing the state of AFFAIRS,
refused to act, they would make or
Parliament an accomplice after the act
90 all the errors and mistakes COM
mitted and would be called upon to take
their punishment.
So for months past they have been
trying to dislodge Millerand. They tried
II FIRST by a thanking movement. They
lamored for the appointment OF par
namentary under secretaries to assist
Millerand. who after much pressure
finally accepted a few Of these assistants
and then did his best to limit the
sphere OF their influence. The battle
was drawn.
Gen. sarrail's Dismissal.
In this situation came the news OF
the dismissal OF a General. Joffre has
dismissed about a hundred since the war
began and nobody save the unhappy
hundred has minded very much. But
this General-Gen- Sarrail-Waa a really