Correspondence
A LETTER FROM PARIS.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—You will remember that the Chamber of Deputies required three long sittings to pass a vote of confidence in the Government " to ensure the work of democratic and social progress in the respect of the laws of the Republic and the security of the country." That Chamber has now elected a Proceedings Committee favourable to the Communists, and this committee will doubtless refrain from laying its report on the table of the House, as by this omission it will prevent the Chamber, under the existing regulations, from voting on the question for a period of four months.
This means that the debate on Communism will have "been
perfectly fruitless, since it will result in no new law of repres- sion—according to the assurance given by M. Barthou- nor remonstrances to the Soviets—according to the assurance given by M. Briand—nor Parliamentary proceedings, as the opposition and inertia of the Proceedings Committee are certain. England's break with the Soviets was welcomed in France with great pleasure, except of course in Extreme Left circles. We hope France will follow suit.
Thus the political defeat inflicted on M. Poincare by a homogeneous Cartel including the Extreme Left leaves, no further doubt on the regrouping of the Left at the 1928 elections, just as the influence of the question of confidence is an assurance that the life of the " Cabinet of Union " will continue in spite of fantastic rumours of a crisis.
Moreover, the Cabinet is practically irreplaceable until the j✓lection, through lack of new men and a new programme ; it is above all indispensable to the maintenance of a relative financial security which, by averting the peril of the exchange, once again allows this Chamber, rehabilitated by the rise of the franc, to carry on the politics of the Cartel.
The enthusiastic welcome Colonel Charles Lindbergh received in Paris did more towards drawing France and the United States together than all political or diplomatic con- ferences. President Coolidge's speech of welcome to Lindbergh is a proof of this. The American people is with us again in the state of sentimental grace which existed in the harsh years of war. It is doubtless in the same spirit that the State Department has informed our Ambassador at Washington that it was ready to confer with us through diplomatic channels on the proposal formulated by M. Briand of a pact to outlaw war between the United States and ourselves.
It must be admitted that this season has been less brilliant than that of last year ; foreigners are fewer in number and not so prodigal in their expenditure ; the trade in " articles de luxe " is undoubtedly undergoing an economic crisis. Society entertainments have mostly been of a charitable character.—I am, Sir, &c., YOUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT.
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