Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-19
TARD|EU CABINET
PLANS TO RESIGN
Action Is Expected as Soon
as Parliament Passes
Insurance Law.
BY WILLIAM BIRD.

|
PARIS, April 19.-The Tardieu cabi-
net will very likely resign as soon as ii
obtains a vote on the social insurance
law, which both the government and
Parliament have pledged to pass before
July /.
The bill, however, is in such chaotic
form, on account of demagogic amend
ments, that, although Parliament has
foregone its Easter vacation to debate
it, there is much doubt whether an
agreement on a coherent text can be
reached in the time set.
Premier Tardieu has virtually prom
ised that he would not endeavor to pro-
long the life of his cabinet beyond the
completion of current business. True,
the condition which he stipulated
namely, that the opposition parties re-
frain from obstructionist tactics-has
not been fulfilled. Shipping has been
constant. and the cabinet has had to
fight every inch of the way. Neverthe-
less the chances are strong that TAR
dieu will resign anyway.
What will follow? Barring the I'M
likely event that Raymond Poincare
feels himself able and willing to take
over the responsibilities OF government
this Summer and form broad center
coalition. similar to the one he headed
until the question of health forced him
to resign year ago, 1t Is clear 10
political observers that the dissolution
of the Parliament and the calling OF
new elections is the only stable solution.
Plan to Make Party Truce.
Yet SO ingrained is the French re-
luctance to dissolve Parliament-re-
membering the disastrous effects OF the
only occasion when this constitutional
measure was taken-that every expedi-
ent will be tried to avoid 1t II possible
and special efforts will be made to bring
about a party truce, permitting the
formation of coalition cabinet under
some colorless Senator.
Government, in the sense OF vigorous
leadership, is at a standstill in practl-
cally all parliamentary countries OF
Europe. Chancellor Snowden's long
dreaded budget so carefully steers the
safe middle course that 1t arouses more
opposition among the Clydeside Labor
extremists than among the die-hard
Conservatives.
The German cabinet lives pitifully on
the majority Of handful Of votes and
seems destined to die of starvation when
the Reichstag reconvenes. DR.. Hein-
rich Bruening, the chancellor, has been
reduced to bargaining with the Con-
servatives for crumbs and he has ap-
parently yielded to pressure for more
experimental" cruisers.
The success which the Ersatz Preus-
sen, the first experimental cruiser, en-
joyed, at least from a publicity view
point, is seemingly to be followed by the
construction of another 10,000-ton
cruiser AS the Versailles treaty allows
Germany six vessels of that size, nc
foreign power can fairly protest.
France Congratulates Herself.
But the imminent decision of the
Germans to continue naval construction
causes France to congratulate herself
anew that she did not yield at the
London Naval Conference to the pres
sure for reduction without suitable
guarantees.
Obviously Germany is not expecting
to rival France on the seas. The whole
purpose of the German construction
program apparently is to acquire con-
troll of the Baltic and thus hold Poland
in check, which, it is clear, can be &C
complished with relatively small feet
of modern ships.
And only month after the signing
of the Warsaw commercial treaty be-
tween Germany and Poland, which was
supposed to end their customs war, we
find Germany increasing tariffs against
Poland and the latter threatening to
denounce the treaty so lately signed.
This makes it plain that any new ele-
ments Of friction in that quarter may
be exceedingly dangerous.
Poland, indeed, if cut of by sea from
French support, loses all independence
Of action and becomes vasSal Of Ger
many or Russia, or both, which situa-
ton France obviously won't tolerate.
But the weakness and vaccilation of
parliamentary governments, driven to
every compromise in order to maintain
themselves in power, is causing Europe
to drift into many dangerous passes
from which extrication may be long
and laborious.
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