Evening star., 1924-03-30
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

r NEMIES of Premier Poincare of
X France during the week just
closed won a startling victory
over the doughty French
statesman, only to be discounted
After having been defeated in a
vote of confidence in the chamber of
deputies, the premier has emerged
from the political chaos stronger than
ever.
Instead of the firm French policy in
regard to Germany being in anywise
materially curtailed. it may be taken
for granted that Poincare, conside cred
adroit of the adroitest in political
skirmishes. is in better position to go
forward with the French foreign pol
icy embracing frmness to the nth
degree in extracting reparations pay
ments from Germany, if, in fact, it
does not embrace the de-Germanizing g
/ of the Ruhr and Rhineland through
continued occupation.
Inxnres His Tenure.
Premier Poincare since being elect
ed deputy from the Meuse, forty
years ago, has had a picturesque ca
| reer and in the past ten years occupy
i ing the highest positions in the realm.
| His position at the present moment
was never better and unless there be
unexpected developments in the i'm
! mediate future il is expected his
tenure of office may be continued in
definitely, inasmuch as in the reor-
4 ganization of his government he has
not only picked the best minds of
! France. but has appointed to cabinet
| positions four of the leaders of the
| left.
i In Locheur. Marsal. de Jouvenal
and Vincent the enemies of Poincare
have found inspiration. Now these
men are in a Poincare government
and not only have they been signally
/ honored. but 1t is expected that by
| virtue of their position they will be
! forced to counsel moderation in ac-
i tivitieS of the left.
! The outgoing Poincare cabinet was
| nationalist to the extreme. There
j was clear-cut cleavage between the
| right and the left political groups. the
! latter representing the liberal school
| of thought and demanding that there
| be more leniency in the purported
| foreign policy designed to completely
| destroy Germany and as q result the
| economic position of the whole of Eu-
! rope. Parliamentary elections take
| place early in May. The left gave
| promise of gaining tremendously.
| Everything indicated a battle to the
| death. When Premier Poincare how
| ever, picked the best minds from the
ranks OF his critics and placed gov
/ ernmental responsibilities upon their
| shoulders in coalition regime. he not
| only rejected the desires of President
! Millerand that a strictly nationalistic
| cabinet be forned, but undoubtedly
1 weakened the shafts of his enemies.
In other words the actions of the gov
ernmcnt in the furture, unless there
in
| self. thing not likely. will be partly
determined by the political enemies
of Poincare.
| Time for Disse ension.
! In case there be disagreement and
| dissension this undoubtedly will come
when the reports of the Dawes COM
/ mission and the reparations commits
sion are placed upon the cabinet
table, for it is in these things that
the chief Emergencies of opinion have
| arisen in French political circles
Should there be split the matter un
idoubtedly will have a direct bearing
| upon the results of the French cleo
tions, particularly if the left me bers
Of the cabinet tell the country there
, is little chance of maintaining con-
tinental equilibrium unless there be
modification of the Poincare policy
Naturally. under such circumstances
: the left cabinet members would have
! 70 retire from their Offices There
| is little indication that this will
| tranSpire. particularly in view of the
| action of the cabinet Saturday in
/ committing itself to the policies OF
| the previous Poincare regime en-
! bracing as they did absolute firmness
4 in 6a1 inc wit t,a
! AS is we'll known. Poincare has beer
committed TO tenure of the Ruhr until
/ all reparations payments have been
! made. There have been increasing
| signs of notifications of his attitude
, in the total amount of German repa
/ rations and methods of payments
! Likewise there have been increasing
signs that the Dawes report on what
I Germany can be expected TO pay and
! m cthods by which she shall be forced
! to do SO. will be adopted. In such
case Poincare. with the support of the
leaders of the left. will pave the way
for prolonged tenure of his present
position.
France Wants English Aid.
! The French government is attempt
! ing and will continue to argue TO,
compensating advantages in case the
i guarantees now held by France ir
Germany are in any wise curtailed il
/; arrangements made necessary by the
Dawes commission report. AS con-
sequence England has been ap.
preached to determine how far Eng
land Will back up the security oil
| France in case of undue Germanic
aggression. If Poincare can obtain {
| pledge to this effect he will be in q
position to modify the French posi-
tion in the Ruhr. But unless he should
| succeed in persuading Macdonald tc
take this viewpoint, there may be
difficulty in reconciling the old "occu-
patton to- o-the-bitter-end" policy enun-
ciated by Poincare and the demands
of the left.
! Before the Dawes report has beer
! fully acted upon it may be expected
that Poincare will be able to an
| nounce that England will support
! France against undue aggression Oh
that she will not do So If England
! does. then little trouble may be eX-
/ pected from French sources in regard