Evening star., 1923-06-10
PO|NCARE REFUSES
STAND ON POLITICS
Fails to Support Major
ity Party of Deputies
Tardieu Claims.
SAYS He REJECTED
PLACE In CABINET
Pemier's Policy Leaves Nation Al.
ways in Doubt, Writer
Claims.
BY ANDRE TARDIEU.
Former French High Commissioner
to America.

BY ANDRE TARDIEU.
Former French High Commissioner
to America.
By Gable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright. 1923.
PARIS. June 9.-The receipt Of the
new German reparations not finds
France in a turmoil Of domestic poll
tics and it is not safe at this time to
prophesy what may or may not hap
pen.
This has been q week when ones
attention ordinarily would be riveted
on foreign affairs. There was the
short Brussels conference for Franco
Belgian cooperation, the receipt OF
the German note and continuing
shocks from Lausanne. where French
economy Is having a bad time due TO
the Turks demand that they be per
mitted henceforth 90 pay their debts
in paper money rather than in gold.
Despite all this. domestic politics
has held the attention OF the cham
Der and the public. I do not Otter.
cable domestic politics, first, because
that subject interests you less than
Frances International actions, and,
secondly, because dislike 10 LnTuSl
French discords upon you. However.
one must not exaggerate ones dis
cretion. And 1t must be ADMITTED
that in France as well as in America,
domestic party struggles have their
direct repercussions in foreign poll
tics and policies. Americans make
no contradiction to the state ment
that traditional quarrels between
democrats and republicans Influenced
the fate of the treaty Of Versailles.
Barred DisapprovaI.
Thus in the coming French elcc-
tions of 1924, if the Caillaux part:.
benefiting by socialist and com
parliament, the domestic change will
have immediate results interna
tionally. The small crisis just eX-
perienced originated with royalisr
action Francaise' aggressions on the
extreme radical politicians. One OF
these on his way to the chamber was
beaten with a stick. another was
showered with ink, while a third was
given fascist treatment-a large dose
of castor OIL. These methods. sue
cessful in Italy. provoked in France
unanimous disapproyal, which WAS
echoed next day in the chamber.
This outburst OF the royalists, while
| interesting. was not the disturbing
political factor of the week. Real
uneaSiness persists because of un-
:
views-an uneasiness needing ex-
PLANTATION because the coming months
may provoke reactions appearing in
explfcable unless the causes under
meath are outlined.
Poincare, it must be remembered.
was the republics president Our
presidents are different from yours
They are not held responsible for
anything, and their power is limited
to the nominating of a premier in
n a N let H,-tl Il TT =
president is a sort of party ar
bitrator With your president is
party leader.
Poincare. upon becoming premier
was unwilling or unable to abandon
the arbitral idea he gained as pres-
dent and declared that he did not in
I'tend 10 meddle in party struggles
In January, 1922, when he asked me
to join his cabinet, asked
with what majority do YOU intend
Poincare replied:
I did not make politics while
was at the Elysee; 1 shall not make
| them as premier"
Indefinite Attitude,
MY conviction that a premier ought
to govern with a definite party ma
| Jority back OF him led me to refuse
70 JOIN the Poincare ministry. 1 ain
still convinced today that the pre-
mier's indefinite political attitude is
largely responsible for the nessinesq
Throughout the country.
Instead of relying exclusively upon
the moderate republicans who CON
stltute the chamber majority. Poin-
care constantly is flirting with the
radicals. the socialists. the Caillaux
party and even the royalists This
! policy has led Poincare into many
dimcult situations. He is trying 10
walk between the extreme left and
the extreme right Meantime the real
majority in the chamber is without
leadership 1t Is losing ali nre.tjcs
simply because it will not assert +
self. The right and the left have
gained the ground thus abandoned.
No one seems to know where yr.
are drifting. AS I said at the begin