The French President has called upon M. Rouvier, "the best
financier among French politicians," to form a new Cabinet, and M. Rouvier has succeeded. He retains: M. Delcasse as Foreign Minister, to the satisfaction of Europe, and M. Berteaux, to the delight of Army reformers, but drops M. Pelletan, to the relief at least of officers of the Navy, who, however, do not obtain in his successor, M. Thomson, a professional Minister of Marine. Seven of the incoming Cabinet are new to office, N. Etienne, an old Gambettist, being the best known among them. He becomes Minister of the Interior, in France the most important office next to the Premiership, while M. Dubief, a " Radical-. Socialist," is appointed Minister of Commerce. Every group in the "Bloc" in represented except the "dissidents," who object to the Anti-Clerical policy, and the Progressists, who voted against M. Combes. The programme, it is said, will be the old one, but, as we expected, the pace will be slower, and M. Berteaux will give full effect to' the Army dislike of espionage upon officers. There is nothing, in fact, for foreign observers to cavil at in the new Ministry, which will, how-' ever, have to govern an Assembly full of disappointed ambitions, and of men chiefly intent on making themselves safe against the General Election of next year, without the aid, unless we except M. Etienne, of new advisers of the first calibre.
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