In France neither Parliamentary government nor the franc has prospered
during the week. On Tuesday the franc fell to 180 to the £ and M. Peret, the Finance Minis- ter, resigned with a hint that support which he had expected from the Banque de France had failed him and .obstructed his schemes for saving the falling exchange. M. Briand met the Chamber in the afternoon and refused a financial debate on the ground that there was no Finance Minister. Later the Cabinet resigned. M. Briand is trying to form a new Government. His difficulty as usual will be to find a Finance Minister. M. Poineare and M. Caillaux are both suggested. We doubt whether either of these able and masterful men will agree to serve unless he is in full control as Premier, or has guarantees of freedom which would be difficult for another Premier to give. The financial Committee of Experts must also be considered or its work will seem to be flouted and hopes of help from that quarter will vanish.
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