Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
PO|NCARE CABINET
FACES HARD FIGHT
Politics Boil in Provinces.
Premier May Be Forced
to Resign.
By WILLIAM BIRD.

BY Cable to The star.
PARIS. August 13--politics In
Paris rs taking it's Midsummer siesta.
but the provinces are boiling over in
antlcipati ton of the Fail session of
Parliament and the possibility OF
sudden dissolution of the Chamber of
Deputies. which would entail an I'M
mediate general election.
All the members of the Poincare
cabinet, as we'll as all the senator's
and deputies. are making speeches at
least once a week in their districts or
on various public occasions. and while
the topics are varied, the intention is
ever the Same--to determine whether
France shall continue under a con-
sentative policy like that of NJ iooin-
care, or revert to the socialistiC eX-
periments of last year.
The writer has just made a series
OF short excursions into different parts
of provincial France. and everywhere
has found a state of political fever
heat, contrasting sharply With the
hot weather apathy of the capital.
Discomfort Exists.
Although much fattering lip.serv.
fee is rendered TO Poincare and his col.
leagues for their work Of stabiliZa-
ton. there is considerable underlying
discomfort.
Business is very bad, particularly
in localities that cater TO the Summer
tourist and vacation trade. Weather
is partly to blame, but the govern.
ment as usual has to hold the Tag,
even for bad weather.
More or less demagogic orators are
convincing millions of people that the
best way to buck business up is to
vote for the opposition candidate.
The recent passage of the new cleo
ton law. which abolishes proportional
representation and restores the old
system of one Deputy to a district.
favors the parties of the left" con-
siderably. The so-called radical-social-
lists maneuvered the law through pa
lament and in doing so they gerry.
wandered the districts pretty much to
their taste
The Socialists. too, stand to profit
considerably by the working of the
new law. They now have about 100
Deputies, and it is freely estimated
that in the next Parliament they have
good chances of electing $50, which
may possibly make them the strong
est single party in the Chamber.
If these forecasts are realized. ii is
difficult to see how a return to the
conditions Of last year can be
avoided.
The center" and conservative par
ties are disorganized They would
stand a good chance under the old
proportional scheme. but under the
new system, where personal populari.
~ and personal machine count for
much, they have neither the candi-
dates nor the machine.
Cartel Victory Possible.
IF the Radicals and the Socialists
make an alliance like that Of 1924.
agreeing TO support each other In the
second ballot-z1for the French election /
law provides for a second ballot in
every district where no candidate
obtains a clear ma jor1ty on the first
the victory of the cartel bids fair
to be overwhelming.
Whether the elections take place |
this Fall. or go over until the normal |
time. next May depends on how the |
Chamber behaves when reconvened in |
October. Poincare has stated private. |
~ that IL he is overthrown he will
refuse to form a new cabinet and Will
recommend a dissolution OF the Cham.
Der. This would mean q brusque
election which would find all parties
relatively unprepared and would start
q mad scramble for seats.
It would, however, favor the Con-
servatives considerably. because the
accompanying monetary and fiscal
uncertainty would bring quick real
ization to the country of the need for
avoiding socialistic pitfalls.
tConsright. 1872