The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-21
REYNAUD SEEKING
TO FORM CABINET
Continued From Page One)

for Which it was one-fourth respon-
sible and then directed the nation
through six and a half months of a
conflict of siege, quit this morning.
The Reason
The reason was a thick atmosphere
of dissatisfaction over lack of AL
lied action in the struggle with Ger
many.
Gentle Albert Lebrun, the presi-
dent of France. asked Daladier to
form a new government. But Da-
Ladder, smarting under the hostile
refusal by the majority of the cham
Der of deputies to vote on a motion
of confidence early today, refused.
Daladier at first refused to take
any part in the new government,
but tonight he was reported to have
changed his mind and to have agreed
to enter a Reynaud cabinet either as
minister of defense or of war.
Other reports We're that Georges
Mandel would remain as minister of
colonies and that Reynaud himself
would take the foreign affairs port
folio.
Reynaud, whose reorganization of
French finances is rated as one of
the greatest achievements of the
Daladier administration and whose
personal political star has been ris.
ing steadily, was called in.
Promises Reply
Chary of words to meet the clam.
or of the press for action to get
on with the war, the erstwhile min
lister of finance said merely, after
talking with Lebrun, that the presi-
dent had asked him to form a gov
eminent and that he had promised
his answer by tomorrow morning.
That meant he would canvass the
situation during the night and that
he expects to know by morning
whether he has the necessary sup.
port and the men to make up his
cabinet.
From all sides warnings were he.
ing sounded that France must not
remain without a government for a
series of days, as has happened often
in past crises.
The government upset, although
it has been predicted for months,
came about through what, in many
quarters, was quite frankly called a
"fluke."
The event really was precipitated
by the Russo-Finnish peace.
Storm Breaks
Criticism Of the state of affairs
which prevented adequate aid from
being sem to the Firms broke into a
storm.
The government had to bear the
brunt of charges that it's policy had
been weakened. Then cries for a
more effective prosecution of the
with Germany became a cnorus.
1t was obvious, at length, that Da.
Ladder at least would have to alter
his cabinet to meet demands for a
more wieldy ministry and n which
would demonstrate that every DOS.
sibility was being plumbed to push
the wal to a decisive finish.
After Daladier went before the
senate last Friday and got a unani.
nous confidence vote, despite sew.
enty abstentions, it was thought that
the most he would do would be to
make the cabinet alterations.
But instead of reshuffling his cab,
met Immediately and going before
the chamber Tuesday with the
changes made-which might have
altered the whole story-he put them
off and appeared with his old cahi.
net.
All yesterday afternoon and
throughout the night he talked to
deputies in a 12-hour secret ses.
SION. Then, early this morning h
deputies voted.
Technical Victory
Technically, Daladier won. The
was n of confidence, 239 to
IN Daladier's determination and
anlilty to take Immediately, and in
LII domains. measures Indispensable