News of the Week
THE Lausanne Conference, put off from next Monday
to the week after to suit the exigencies of French politics, may have to be still further postponed in conse- quence of the resignation of M. Laval and the recon- struction of his Cabinet. The crisis that centred round M. Briand is curious and not yet fully explained. It is clear that- the state of the Foreign Minister's health made his surrender of his office necessary, but lie was unwilling simply to resign and would only place his portfolio at the Premier's disposal if all his colleagues did the same. That accordingly happened, whereon M. Laval tried to reconstruct with the help of the Radical-Socialists ; found that their leader, M. Herriot, not unnaturally preferred to keep his hands free for the coming general election ; offered his own resignation to the President of the Republic ; was invited to form a new administration ; and has promptly done so, with himself at the Quai d'Orsay and M. Tardieu replacing the late M. Maginot as Minister of War. All the trouble therefore has led to precisely the same result as if M. Briand had been content to retire in the ordinary way. He seems, however, to have been swayed by the same injudicious advisers as persuaded him to stand for the Presidency last May. In all the circum- stances it is as well that M. Laval, who has been handling foreign affairs himself of late and evidently means to go on handling them, should hold the portfolio of Foreign Affairs. But M. Briand will be heard of again-yet,
