Evening star., 1925-01-25
!: u X x

seven days ended January "a:
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France.-A five-hour speech to the
French Chamber of Deputies January
81 by NJ Marin, an undersecretary of
state under Poincare, is said to have
met with more enthusiastic approval
from that body than any other speech
heard by it in many long day. The
subject was the French war debts
and the main argument was the fa-
miliar one that in the settlement of
those debts the financial equivalent of
the French blood loss should receive
due consideration.
NJ. Marin cited French war casual
ties as follows: 1,450,000 killed on
the field and 100000 wounded, of
whom 100000 died of their wounds.
Moreover, said he. there are 100000
young French women compelled to
sterility because 100000 young men
have died"
The speech has had It's repercus-
sions on this side the ditch.
A very important debate is in pro-
cess in the French Chamber on the
governments proposal to suppress
the French embassy at the Vatican.
NJ. krassin, Russian Am bassador to
France, is on a visit to Moscow, no
doubt to report on the complete fall
ure to date of his negotiations with
the French government.
Germnny.-On the 18th DR.. Luther
formally presented the new cabinet
to the Reichstag and made his state
ment of policies. The final makeup
of the cabinet differs from the list
given in my last weeks summary as
| follows: DIR. Frenken, a Centrist
minister of justice instead of Dr.
Schumacher, Centrist. Count Won
| Schlieben, said to a dyed-in- -the-wool
Nationalist, minister of finance In
stead of Saemisch, Peoples party.
Herr Krohn, reputed a non-party
man, becomes minister OF traffic.
DIR. Luther declared with emphasis
| that he was a non-party man and
| that the cabinet would loyalty de-
fend the constitution and faithfully
| fulfill Germany's obligations under
| the Dawes plan and the London
agreement. He promised to do his
best by negotiation to prevail on the
allies to evacuate Cologne. On the
question of Germany's joining the
League of Nations he was non
| committal. Referring to the charge
| that he and his colleagues were un-
| duly Influenced by the Industrial
magnates, he invited attention to
their first act-an order for intro
| duction of the eight-frour day at the
coke and blast furnaces.
The chancellor's pronouncement
was followed by violent debate.
| The Socialists altogether disbelieve
| him. the Democrats are skeptical, the
| Centrists uneasy. The Fascists (Lu-
dendorff- Hitler outft are, Of course,
| against any government that is not
| fatty monarchial, the Communists
| against any government that Is not
Bolshevist.
| Last weeks reports exaggerated
the support assured to Luther, but ne
| got a vote of confidence, 246 to $50
The Nationalist, Peoples party, Ba-
yarian Peoples party, Economic par
~. Land League and Hanoverian par
ty representatives voted solidly for
| the new government (202 votes) the
Socialist (131 votes) solidly against
II. The Centrist vote was di-
yided, a significant thing. The Demo
| Gratis abstained from voting. The
total membership Of the Reichstag
! is 493. 400 votes were cast.
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Arabia.-The British government
has decided to assign a number OF
fast destroyers to the duty of sup
pressing at last the immemorial traf.
fc in negro slaves between Africa
and Arabia. Hitherto the Arabian
ebins in the Red Sea, by watching
their time and making a dash for II
! across the narrow passage with 6
fair wind, have had sufficient sue
cess In evadlng the none-too fast
| natrollfng vessels to justify the risk
Suppression of the trafhc Will be hare
on the Arabs who use their slaves
not only for domestic purposes, but
also as warriors. 1t is to be said fol
the Arabs that they treat their slave:
with great kindness.
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Chinn.-The following illustrate!
the weirdness OF the situation at tht
mouth Of the Yangtse.
Last September Lu Yung Hsiang
allv of Super-Tuchun Chang Tsolin
was tuchun of the province of Che
kiane. and Chi Hsieh Yuan, ally o.
Suner-Tuchun WI Pei Flu, wa:
tuchun of the province of Kangsu
They fought, Chi Hsieh Yuan won
In Yung Hsiang fed, and Sun ChuaI
Feng, ally of Wu Pei Fu, superced
ed the latter as tuchun Of Chekians
After Chang Tso Lin's victory,
little later, over the great WI Pei Flu
Chang's help enabled Lu Yung Hsiani
fon whom Chang conferred the charm
ing title of "Pacif1cation Commission
er") not only to recover his old tuchun
ate Of Chekiang, but to seize from Chi
Hsieh Yuan tho tuchunats0f Kiangsu