Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-07
Throws Down Gauntlet to
Parties Supporting Reser-
vations to Pact.
GOVERNMENT DECIDES
ON DECISIVE POSITION
Ministry Shows Vigor and Will
Stand or Fall on Demand for
Quick Ratification.

BY Gable to The Star and the New York
Herald-Tribune.
PARIS. july 6.-With a show OF
unanimity and vigor it had not mani
tested for several months, the Poincare
government threw down the gauntlet
today before the opposing Left parties.
At a cabinet meeting this morning 1t
was decided to reject the decisions taken
by the finance and foreign affairs COM
nittees of the Chamber OF Deputies
relative to the form Of ratification OF the
Mellon -Berenger debt funding accord,
and to substitute the governments own
program providing for complete sepa-
ration of any reservations from the IN
strunnent of ratification proper.
In a crisp communique the cabinet
made 1t clear that it would bring the
fisht to the floor of the chamber at the
earliest possible moment, perhaps on
FRIDAY of next week and would stand or
fall on the ratification issue.
Postpones Discussion.
This decision implies postponement OF
discussion of the question OF evacuatlon
of the Rhineland until after the oept
accord is ratified, which is in direct OPP
position to the stand taken recentiy oy
both the Socialists and the Haolcal
Socialists, who have called for simulta-
neous discussion of the debt accoroS, the
Young plan and the evacuation.
The governments decision Is espe-
cially significant because 1t lnolcaIes
that Premier Poincare and Foreign MIN
lister BRAND are in complete accord on
the question at issue. The Left parties
had been looking to NJ. BRAND as the
man fitted for the premiership of new
Left government.
Now, within a few hours. they have
been robbed of their prospective chief,
perhaps the only man who might nave
formed O Left government OF any sta
bility.
Additional Importance is attached to
today's developments by the fact that
Andre Maginot. minister for the COLO
nies and representative OF the Rlgnt
narties in the government. is shown
to be in full accord with the premier
and the foreign minister as to the
course to be pursued.
Cabinet encouragement
The government was encouraged, to
take its step in part because the de-
cisionS of both the finance and the
foreign affairs committees OF the cham
Der for the inclusion Of reservations
in the same clause with the authoriza-
ton for ratification were by maJorltles
Of one only in each case, with several
abStentions.
The government was further en-
couraged by the failure yesterday OF
the move In the chamber to cause Its
overthrow. Premier Poincare and his
aides are understood to have taken the
view that various factions In the cham
ber have been permitted to sway the
course of events long enough and that
it is high time for the government
to force the issue and either take full
control or fall in trying to do so.
Should M. Poincare not be able to
secure ratification by the method he
still prefers-by decree-he will insist
upon two bills, one authorizing the
president Of the republic to ratify the
debt accord and the other containing
the reservations. Under this plan the
law carrying a reservation to the effect
that the payments to America be drawn
from payments made to Germany to
France would remain an internal mat
ter. and would not be sent to WASH
ington.
Source Of Trouble.
The Socialists and Radical Socialists.
AZ indicated by the votes in the cham
Der committees of which they held
control, insist that this reservation.
or one In even stronger terms, should
be included with the authorization for
ratification. Such a course. it is point
ed out, would be certain to cause
trouble when the Mellon-Berenger ac-
cord was brought up for ratification
in the United States Senate.
The governments decision has cleared
the atmosphere. Its move has drawn
the line sharply between those groups
Included in the government and those
factions, principally Radical Socialists
and Socialists, who are outside.
The debate on foreign policy in gen.
eral, along with the ratifications debate,
which was proposed by those Left
parties, would seriously embarass
Premier Poincare and his aides, and
the proposal was made with that end
IN view. The opposition groups state
that they are ready to ratify, but have
brought forward conditions Of a type
which the government was not able to
accept.
(Copyright, 1929