The Daily Chronicle of last Saturday published an interview with
M. Caillaux, the Minister of Finance and the chief figure in the French Government. M. Caillaux said that he was so much misrepresented by his enemies that he was not surprised that many Englishmen supposed him to be unfavourable to the Anglo-French Entente, but as a matter of fact he would like to make the Entente even stronger. He expressed great admiration for Mr. Lloyd George, and said that Mr. Lloyd George had proved the sincerity of his friendship for Frame when he expressed the determination of the British Govern- ment to help France at a time of great internatioual strain. IL Centaur then went on to talk of finance, which excludes almost every other subject in France at present. He hoped that the Senate would pass the Income Tax Bill, which he estimated would bring in £6,000,000 a year. As for the pro- posed taxes on estates, they would be like the British Death Duties, only they would be levied during the life of the owner. By taxing estates every year be hoped to raise a new revenue of £7,000,000 or £13,000,000. Finally, be declared that the proposal to exempt the Renter from taxation (upon which question, it will be remembered, IL Barthou's Government fell) was simply an expedient for defeating the ammo Tax.
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