Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
The Story the Week Has Told

| governments monopoly. The govern
ment will or will not arrest the
Mahatma. Should he be arrested. "the
Indian people," so he exhorts them,
must preserve peace and carry out the
instructions of the National Congress
working committee"
FRANCE.-The new Tardieu govern
ment is having hard digging Within a
week of its institution it was defeated
eight times on provisions of the budget
bill, but, not having made an issue of
confidence in any of these cases. it did
not feel constrained to resign. The
matter in issue on the eighth vote was
whether or not the state pledge itself
to large extension of free secondary
education. The premier was favorable
to appropriation of the equivalent Of
$2,000,000 for immediate extension of
secondary education, but was unwilling
that the clause carrying such appro-
priation should also carry a statement
declaring it to be an accepted principle
that the state should greatly enlarge
its system of free secular secondary
education. Battle was joined fiercely
for hours between the advocates of
such extension and those who prefer
the prevailing type of secondary school.
that directed by priests. Gambetta's
slogan of so years syne was heard
once more, "Clericalism is the enemy"
The defeat was certainly serious mat
ter and, the Importance of the issue
considered, those who contend that
Tardieu should have resigned do not
lack reason. It is clear enough any
way that his political lease of life Is
exceedingly precarious. On the cleri-
cal question the country is certainly
left.
However, on March 10, the budget bill
was passed.
GERMANY. Three pieces of good
news come to us from Germany this
week: Ratification (265 to 1922 by the
Reichstag of the Young plan, prac-
tically unanimous ratification by the
Reichstag of the German American
debt settlement, and the appointment
of DR.. Hans Luther, formerly chancel-
lor Of the Reich, to succeed DIR. HJalmar
Schacht as president of the Relcns-
bank. Germany has evidently deter
mined to do her part handsomely
toward liquidation" of the war.
It will be recalled that on March z
DR.. Schacht resigned as president OF
the Reichsbank, giving for reason tnat
having concluded that Germany could
not fulfill her obligations under the
Young plan in its final form, he could
not undertake responsibility for 'ful-
flllment by the Reichsbank OF the role
contemplated for it by the plan.
DR.. Schachts resignation was the
logical sequel to his strange perform
ance at The Hague, and to his refusal
at a recent meeting in Rome of the
governors of the central banks OF the
countries which are to participate In
the Bank of International Settlements,
tne name Of the German representatives
ior the board of the bank, so threaten
ing poStponement Of the opening OF the
nank.s Offices. The Paris press charged
the doctor with "a deliberate policy OF
obstruction with the intention of wreck
ing the Young plan" The German
press In general pooh-poohed his con-
Ientlon that The Hague protocol rep
resents perversion of the Young plan
as framed by the experts of Paris" and
charged him with playing politics. The
extreme charge is that, the presidential
pee puzzing wildly in his bonnet, he
mas neen maneuvering for Nationalist
support. The doctor protests motives
OF peculiar nobility, but has failed to
expound them. Whatever may be the
precise truth of the matter, there Is,
along with recognition of the doctors
great financial talents and his ex-
traordinary services to the Reichsbank
/ and by the same token to the general
economic rehabilitation of Germany,
general satisfaction with his resigna-
tlon At any rate, for whatever rea-
sons, he Is not sympathetic TO the
Young plan; and 1t Is essential to right
Iunctioning of the plan that the Reichs-