Evening star., 1932-08-08
HERR|OT STUDIES
COALITION PLAN
May ForT Alliance With Tar
dieu in Effort to Balance
Budget.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

PARIS, August 8.-It is expected
here that the appointment of German
Martin as Ambassador to Washington
will afford Premier Edouard Herriot an
opportunity to recaSt his cabinet before
Parliament reassembles in October
1t is also predicted that he will make
sweeping changes, taking in many of
the former Tardieu ministers, including
possibly Andre Tardieu himself Such
a move would mean definite break by
Herriot with the Socialists and the
extreme left wing of the Radical party
Herriot is gliding to the right, while
the recognized chief of the opposition,
Taroieu, is reported to be slipping
toward the left. If Tardieu and
Herriot are to be found in the same
cabinet, it will be one of the national
coalition type.
Budget Not Balanced.
Such a change is practically ne
cessitated by the fact that nothing
has been done as yet about balancing
the budget Of the current year, and that
as soon as Parliament meets it will be
necessary to tackle the budget for 1888.
which will be even more difficult to
balance. The Socialists, one of the
principal elements of Herriot's present
majority, are firmly opposed to reduc-
tion of salaries and pensions but with
out such reductions, budget equilibrium
cannot be achieved.
Besides the Socialists. many members
OF Herriots own party, belonging to the
so-called left wing. are taking a similar
stand and demanding that the budget
shall be balanced by demagogic taxing
of the rich and by wholesale cuts in
national defense appropriations.
Will Take No Chances.
Herriot remembering his experience of
1924-1926. is determined to take no
chances of another financial catastrophe
and has made it clear that he will not
did then. It is. moreover, certainty
that the Socialist program would not
be approved by the Senate.
Consequently, as Herriot looks upon
himself as the successor of AriStide
BRAND and is resolved to keep the Of
flee of foreign minister indefinitely, the
best chance of passing a sound budget
lies in effecting an alliance between
the right or maj NAL" wing Of the
radical party and The center elements
represented by T rdieu. Flandin and
of the radicals In } a defensive alliance
with the Socialists.
Deserted by Socialists.
Even before the Chamber of Deputies
adjourned in mid-July Herriot'S Social
ist allies had deserted him on one i'm
portant vote and his cabinet was saved
only by the strong support he received
from the Center and Right. But it is
politically impossible for a government
to continue in such conditions, depend
ing on the Socialists for its life at one
moment and on the Conservatives at
another.
1t will be extremely important, how
ever for Herriot to choose the right
moment and the right pretext for sep
arating from his Socialist friends. He
is a most sensitive man, and having
been one of the chief artisans OF the
Left triumph in the May elections, he
will not expose himself to the taunt
of deserting his victorious colors. But
BRAND, who began his career as a
Socialist, participated in Conservative
cabinets throughout the latter years OF
his life without losing the Sympathles
of the Left. and if Herriot maneuvers
skillfully he may be able to do like
wise.
(Copyright, 1922