The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-12-29
AUSTRiANS' ULTIMATUM INTER
RUPTS JOURNEY TO PROMOTE
PEACE

GI =
PEACE
The French elections of the month
of May, 1914, had brought to the cham
Der a compact majority of advanced
republicans, whose first demand was
for revision of the three-year military
service law. which they wished light
ened. This law had just been passed
in the midst of a political agitation
the intensity of which had been
heightened by the elections; it was
intended as an answer to the formid-
able armament designs of Germany.
Hence, the first problem presenting
itself to the government, now face to
face with the majority in the cham
Der, was that of this military law.
| became premier through the ap-
peal which NJ. Poncaire did me the
honor of addressing to me, on June
., 1914 on. Doumergue having, de-
spite my repeated requests, refused
to remain in power).
do not wish to call attention again
to this crisis, which was certainly mild
when compared with the formidable
commissions which followed it, for the
mere pleasure of setting down per
sonal memories, but because it is
bound up with the ensuing drama.
Convinced of the necessity for main
tanning the three-year service law, and
desiring at the same time to demon
strate that it was by no means some
thing that could never be altered, |
took in hand the formation of the cab
met, with the idea of leaving intact
the law that had ben recently passed
All | wished was to lay stress on the
0f hn
organized youth of the country had
become a necessity, and that, should
foreign affairs permit, the measures
taken might be revoked, since military
laws depended upon conditions in Eu-
rope. This compromise, however, suf-
Tered the fate that is usually melted
out by political parties to arrange
ments based on justice: the moderate
party was afraid of it and some mem
bers of the extreme left found it made
quate. After intervening in the mat
ter in way that jeopardiZed the in
dependence of the head of the govern
ment, and, consequently, his authority,
| gave up the task-which, by the
way, | had not sought for myself.
M. Ribot, who took my place, fell,
the very day of his accession before
the adverse vote of a chamber, the
ardent passions of which were clearly
shown on that day.
On June Is, at II o'clock in the morn
ing, NJ. Poincare again had me sum-
moned. A in the Afternoon my cab
met was formed On Tuesday, June
16. | put through my plan of compro-
mise in the chamber, which gave me a
large majority of votes. The crisis
had lasted a fortnight.
This crisis-and here is why | recall
it-had been followed with noticeable
interest by some of the foreign dip
lomats, particularly by those of the
central empires. 1t is possible now to
grasp the nature of this interest-now
that time has e'1psed and ample in
formation, then unknown, has been
harvested on the bloody fields of war.
The day after June 16, when | had
declared that the three-year law was
not to be touched for the time being,
] became the target for deluge of
Greman insults.
M Viviani holds his portfolio by
grace of the emperor of Russia" said
great official Berlin newspaper.
Colonel Serret, military attache at
Berlin, who later died a glorious death,
told me during the war that, having
been summoned early in June, 1914, to
pay a visit to Emperor William, the
latter thus addressed him:
We'll, colonel. the crisis continues
do you suppose that it is to
be a revolution?"
Your Majesty answered the
French soldier, I'VE have seen other
crises
The perspicacious emperor did not
suspect that the revolution which he
foresaw was destined to be so little
favorable to him.
And now the new French cabinet
took up its labors, with an eye to
national defence and inspired by sc
strong desire TO strengthen it al
once that it asked the senate, on July
IA, 1914, to vote appropriations fol
heavy artillery These. voted in Feb
ruary by the chamber and again in
April, after a modification in the sen
ate, were the occasion of an unfor
tunate debate in the upper house
Later it was proved to US that, at thai
ime, we did not quite accurately real
ize the extent of the harm done BY
imprudent words.
A senator always inclined to crit
cism wished to demonstrate what he
considered 10 be the worthlessnesS o.
the organization of our artillery. This
he did in Scathing terms. The min
isterial protest, made by the minister
Of war and myself. did not disarn
censure. A few days later all the Ger
nan newspapers come out with length!