The French Parliament reopened on Tuesday, and the result of
all the recent party negotiationS is that the future is as doubtful as ever. The National Socialist Congress by a small majority decided not to co-operate with M. Briand's Governnient; It is difficult to see how Briand can' do anything effectiVe to retrieve the finanees of the country SO long as he has. not a trust- worthy majority in the Chamber. The Cartel des Gauches seems to he crying-fai the moon. Whenever a Govern ment of the Left was in power and proposed heavier direct taxation it lost its supporters in the Centre. Now there is a Government depending mainly on the Centre and the deputies of the Left all fill away ! A national as dis- tinguished from a party movement towards the salvation of France seems to be the one thing that cannot be set going in France. On Tuesday the Radical Socialists decided that their representatives on the Finance Com- mittee of the Chamber must immediately reject M. Doum. er'S finance scheme. And the Committee has already emasculated the scheme-, which in its amended form is useless as a solvent of France's financial troubles.
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