The success of the Cartel des Gauches has been quite
unexpected in extent. It was calculated before the elections that eighty seats would have to be won from the Bloc National in order to put the Left on equal terms with it in the new Chamber. But no one expected that the Left could win so many. One hundred seats have been won. Nothing is more difficult than to express exactly the results of a French election, but the following table may give a rough idea of the new position :—
Right.
Conservatives ..
11
Moderate Republicans 137 Left Republicans .. 92 Independent Radicals 34
274
Nominally the thirty-four Independent Radicals might be considered deputies of the Left and not of the Right, but they are probably Poincarists in foreign policy, which is, after all, the only important issue from the British point of view, and so should be given to the Right. Again, it is more than doubtful if the twenty- nine Communists will be of any service to the Left, and if their votes are subtracted from it, it will be seen that they reduce the total to 267—seven less than the combined votes of the parties of the Right (274). From these figures it will be seen how closely balanced will be the new French Chamber.
Left. Radicals and Radical- Socialists .. 127 Socialists .. 101 Republican Socialists 39 Communists .. 29 296
