M. Daladier's Special Powers M. Daladier cannot be congratulated on
his handling of the situation created in France by the present crisis. The fundamental desire of the French people, in face of the present danger, is for a genuinely National Government, which might legitimately demand special powers but would hardly need them, as the Chamber would not oppose any measures designed to increase French security. M. Daladier, however, has demanded and received the special powers, but in the debate in the Chamber he refused to discuss his past policy, or to make any concessions to his critics and oppon- ents, and thereby prevented any rallying of forces around his Government, which in fact is suspected of exploiting the situation for its own ends. Confidence in the sincerity of the Government is not increased by the conduct of the Foreign Minister, M. Georges Bonnet. In the course of a year he has only made one statement to the Chamber ; last Saturday, though the policy he has consistently advocated is in ruins, he did not feel called upon to justify or explain himself. In the course of the debate he was accused by M. de Kerillis of suppressing information of German troop concentrations on the Czech frontier, received by the Quai D'Orsay on March 6th. M. Bonnet asserted that the information did not arrive till March n th, and he immediately discussed it with the British Government, which therefore must have been aware of the danger threatening Prague. This is wholly incon- sistent with any statement made by British Ministers.
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