Evening star., 1932-09-22
HERR|QT CABINET
APPEARS DOOMED
Probably Will Fall on Finan'
ciaI uestion-Doumergue
May Be Premier.
epecial Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO Ine star.
PARIS, September 22.-Will CASTOR
Doumergue be a second Raymond
Poincare? After having served a seven
year term as president of the republic
will he become premier at the head of
q cabinet of national union. whose
chief task will be to save the franc?
These questions are being asked IN
divers political circles at present.
1t is very generally anticipated that
the present Herriot cabinet will not
last long after Parliament resumes its
session late in October or early in No
vember. 1t is almost certain to fall on
the financial question. The country is
faced with budget deficit OF $780,
100000, and Premier Herriot himself
has stated that there are only two pos
sible courses-inflation of the currency
or def1ation Of public expenditures.
Mindful of 1926, when he was premier
and when the franc fell to it's lowest,
he is opposed to currency imitation. But
he has found his majority In Parlia-
rnerlt opposed to his schemes for reduc-
ing expenditures. At the elections in
May there was tacit alliance between
his party (RadicaD and the Socialists,
which produced landslide for the Left.
Now the Socialists. together with the
most advanced of the Radicals, insist
that any reduction of expenditures
must be on Socialistic lines-slashing
the army and navy appropriations. tax
ing capital, governmental operation OF
railroads and all forms of insurance
and the like On the other hand, they
will not hear of any reduction of sal
aries in the civil service as proposed by
the premier.
Cabinet Seems Doomed.
The situation thus created means
that the cabinet must alternately rely
on the moderate opposition (for in
stance, in matters of national defense)
and on the Left majority for instance,
in matters of taxing Stock Exchange
operations). Between the two it must
come to the ground. There is talk of
reconstruction of the Herriot cabinet
with Moderate support, but 1t remains
to be proved that such cabinet could
exist 1t is very doubtful.
Most French political prophets FORE
see that the Herriot ministry will be
followed by one of stronger Left com
pleXion. for the unWritten law Is that
the President Of the republic should
first call upon some representative of
Ile IlcJOIllS-dU plSSCIlI lIIC
conduct the countrys affairs. AS the
prophets see it, the next ministry would
increase the deficit because it would
be committed to costly social reforms"
Then financial difficulties would be-
come such that the country would de-
mand a cabinet CT national union. as in
1916, when Poincare came in to save
the franc
Until recently no second Poincare
had been discernible. The names of
Andre Tardieu. Joseph CaillauX and
others had been mentioned, but 1t was
felt that they could scarcely succeed be-
cause they are strong party men. Ray
mond Poincare himself is out Of the
running because Of his health. Despite
the optimistic reports Of his encourage,
his public appearances are rigidly
limited to a few minutes and his
syndicated articles for newspapers in
France and South America. which used
to be frequent and prolix, are today
few and terse.
Doumergue May Be Called.
CASTOR Doumergue now looms larger
and larger as the possible savior Of the
country's finances. AS President OF
the republic he was above party for
seven years and he attained great
popularity In politics he is still
norninally a Radical, but he is known
to be much more moderate now than
when he went to the French White
House, and he is described by many
the extreme Left excepted-as f1t
leader at cabinet of national union.
CASTOR Doumergue has kept outside
politics since he left the presidency,
some Is months ago, point which
stands in his favor, according to the
prophets. He has said that he has no
desire to enter public life again, but it
is felt that If senatorial seat were
offered to him at the elections next
october he would not refuse 1t is un-
derstood also that President Albert
Iebrun would welcome an opportunity
to offer him the premiership.
(Copyright, 1922