New-York tribune., 1921-01-14
Millerand Can Hardly Avoid
Appointing Ex-President,
Is Paris View; Leaders
Unite in Backing Him
p eret Refuses Place
Nation Is Ready to Replace
American Forces on the
Rhine With Own Troops
By Ralph Courtney
Bv Wireless to The Tribune


PARIS, Jan. 13.-Although President
Millerand will not choose a new Pre-
mier before tomorrow, it is already
evident that he cannot without great
difficulty avoid summoning Raymond
Poincare
M. Mllerand consulted five leading po-
litical personages this morning, includ-
ing Raoul Peret, President of the
| Chamber Of Deputies. This afternoon
and evening he saw a dozen more. To-
morrow others will be asked to come
to the Elysee Palace to discuss the
critical foreign situation
The President to-day asked all the
persons who visited him these ques-
tions: What is your opinion ef the
present crisis? In these circumstances
should France have party Cabinet or
e coalition Cabinet?
Before propounding the third ques-
tion the President explained to each
| OF his callers the situation as it ap-
peared to him. He pointed out the
dangers of the various possibly poll
cies and finally outlined the solution
Of world problems which he himself
thought should be aimed at. Then ne
asked: IF this is the situation who
do you think should be intrusted with
the premiership?'
1t is said that M. Millerands visitors
expressed divergent opinions on the
first two points, but not one SO far hac
failed to recommend Poincare when
answering the third question.
Peret Declines to Form Cabinet
The President would prefer to com
promise on a Cabinet whose policy he
can still control as ne controlled
Leygues's. Peret, it is said, was asked
| to attempt the formation of a Cabinet,
! but he declares that he is not willing
to abandon his place as president Of
the Chamber. lnasmuch as Peret's
present place carries with it the
equivalent of nearly 250,000 francs a
year, he is said to be unwilling on
political adventure in Cabinet that
may not last any longer than Ley
guess. Peret also has no desire to
act as a rubber stamp for the Presi-
dent, according to his friends.
A compromise ministry could un-
doubtedly be found to carry on Mil
erands policies, but it seems very
doubtful whether the Chamber, in its
present mood, would support it. All
France feels that q strong man must
be put in the saddle Poincare ap-
pears to Frenchmen to be the only
man capable of bringing the country
through its present difficulties, and
opinion is moving strongly in his di-
rection.
Poincarey it is assumed, would take
up an entirely new policy of his own,
if he accepted the premiership. Within
week of taking office he probably
would declare openly not only Frances
policy toward the Allies, but her att-
tude toward Germany and the steps
she intends to take in order to obtain
the execution Of the treaty. Poincare,
it is said, has no faith in the Supreme
iers, believing that all negotiations
among the Allies should be carried on
through the usual diplomatic channe' S.
France is tired of the state of un-
certainty in which she has been living,
both as regards Great Britain's sup
port and as to whether she must con-
tinually encounter resistance by the
Germans on the ubject of reparatons,
no matter how concilatory an attitude
she tries to take.
No one knows what the future under
drawal of American troops from the
Rhine comedies with the moment that
France is most likely to find itself in
the midst of trouble
French Army to Replace L. S. on Rhine
The Action Francaise learns, it says,
from a person we'll placed to give the
opinion Of the French general staff on
the American withdrawal, that the
French army is all ready to step into
the positions now held by the Ameri-
cans. This parsonage says: "I de
plore the American decision because of
the moral effect which it may have on
the French. But from military point
of view we were prepared for this
news. Even if the United States were
to evacuate all the troops it has on the
Rhine. within a few weeks the French
army would be able to stop the gap
left by the American withdrawal. The
French army alone is capable of doing
this, for only the French have enough
elasticity. Our plans are ready The
operation would be completed without
/ a ripple"
1t is reported that the French forma-
tions on the frontier have been asksd
to state their capacity for accommodate
ing new effectives if it should be de-
cdcd to send them to the front line.
Commenting on the present situation,
L'Eclair says:
Economically speaking, we already