Evening star., 1924-06-22
HERRIOT'S POLICIES
COMPLETE REVERSAL
Program Takes Opposite Views
With Last Parliament on
All Issues.
PREMIER'S POST INSECURE
Majority Less Than so on Test
Vote and Future Problematical.
BY ANDRE TARDIEU.

By Cable TO The Star.
PARIS, June 21.-Premier Herriot's
program marks the most complete
break with the policies of the pre-
vious Parliament that it is possible to
imagine.
Therefore it's not surprising that
confidence was voted on strictly party
lines by a majority of less than eighty
votes. 1t remains to be seen whether
NJ. Herriot can keep a majority in
line.
The program itself is patchwork
of pet schemes of various Left groups,
and the fact that NJ. ,Herriot has to
begin his ministry by Offering sops
to different factions shows how in
secure his position is. Among these
sops are such measures as the break
ing off of relations with the Vatican
general amnesty, including two for
mer ministers. CaillauX and MalHy,
who were convicted by high court
of Justice; reinstatement of railway
workers discharged for striking In
1920. granting the right to unionize to
state employees, and recognition OF
the Soviet.
Only Course Open.
Zach of these points is directly con-
trary to the policy of previous leg
islatureS. but ii is only fair to ADMIT
that, considering that NJ. Herrlot must
get his support from widely diverse
elements, he could hardly do other
wise.
In a previous dispatch the writer
spoke of the tendency to go PACK
to prewar conditions, NJ. Herriots 5
,...tr- IL ,cvly. p
preston and it is foolish to conceal
it as most of the French press does
Anti-clericalism was the chief char-
acteriStic of French prewar politics
But how para Xical to suppress the
Vatican embassy which gives US,
along with many Protestant govern
ments. listening post at one OF the
worlds most important diplomatic
centers and then to recommend recos-
milton of the Soviets on the ground
that France must be represented
everywhere!
Amnesty also was before the war
everybodys first thought. But NJ
Herriot could have amnestied any
body he wished under law three
years old. giving the ministry the
right of pardon with fun legal effects
of amnesty NJ. Herriot simply
wanted to make a moral gesture and
satisfy those followers who want Par
lament openly to repudiate the con-
yiction of the high courts
Seeks Foreign Liberty.
Like the banquet held recently in
london by members of Parliament
war of similar offenSes, this sort of
thing amounts to rehabilitation OF
defeatiSm. 1t makes it look as II
France is ashamed of her victory ana
the indispensable means by which 1t
was gained Every American remem-
he of in
swept over his country in 1917 against
NJ Caillaux NJ. Herriot has not much
fondness for Caillaux. had to yie-d
to the pressure of few dozen MILL
tants and especially Socialists who
have made a god of this wealthy
ffnancier.
NJ Herriots plan obviously is to
make a large number of concessions
to diverse groups on internal pol
icies and thus keep his liberty OF
plan succeed? That is another ques-
ton. for his supporters. for the most
part are men whose appetite grows
while they eat. The writer thinks
he is greatly mistaken II ne thlhkS
Ramsay Macdonald is going to be
an easy man to come TO terms with.
Gives Herriot Month.
It is true that NJ. Poincare made
the same mistake, and never did
French minister write humber let
ters to a British minister than NJ.
FoinCare did to Mr.. Macdonald. MIR.
Herriot was in such hurry to see
Macdonald that he forgot the tradi-
tion which prescribes preliminary
talk with the BelgianS. and TINS
oversight was only repaired by NJ
Hvmans' flying visit to Paris this
week Even so, the Belgian press Is
showing resentment at the slight.
M. Herriot is perfectly sincere. but
he has a beginners illusions about
the possibility of an understanding
with England From the writer's
own experiences in 1919 he gives M.
Herriot one month to discover that
British and French views on reparaE
tions and security are fundamentally
opposed.
1t is unpleasant to throw cold
water on this new Anglo-trench
honeymoon that the press is already
celebrating, but that is just the truth
of the situation.
Copyright. 1924