13 JANUARY 1912, Page 1

Further discussion being impossible in this stormy atmo- sphere, the

Committee was adjourned by M: Bourgeois, the President, and after a long private conversation with the Prime Minister, M. do Selves called on M. Fallieres and tendered his resignation, explaining his motives in a letter stating that he could no longer remain in the Ministry in view of his double anxiety not to betray the truth and not to be wanting in the correctness of conduct which his position demanded. A Cabinet Council was held the same night, at the close of which M. Caillaux announced to the Press that there bad bean no question of " extending the incident." On Wednesday it was announced that at the urgent request

of M. Fallieres M. Delcass6 had consented to accept the portfolio of Foreign Affairs. But the lack of confidence in M. Caillaux was shown by his failure to secure a successor for M. Delcass6 at the Ministry of Marine, and after another meeting of the Cabinet M. Caillaux called on M. Fallieres and resigned. He subsequently issued a bitter statement accusing M. Delcass6 of exacting all sorts of guarantees from M. Fallii:res that he should be sheltered from all interference and not be expected to continue the policy which had brought about the France-German Agree- ment. It appears that M. Delcass6, who consented to join the Cabinet against the advice of his best friends, subsequently withdrew after the failure of M. Caillaux to find anew Minister of Marine.