France's New Government Both the Radical Socialists (more briefly the
Radicals) and the SOcialists in France have now defined their positions, and it is clear that there can be no alliance between them. M. Herriot will therefore be left to form a Cabinet of members of his own party, . which he can easily do, and rely on the support of the Socialists in the division-lobby. That is a good deal less satisfactory, as far as foreign policy is concerned, than a strong Government embracing both Radicals and Socialists and commanding a safe majority over any other probable combination in the Chamber. But M. Herriot is in reality a man as much of the Centre as of the Left, and there was never any very, sound basis for a close alliance between him and the Socialists, whose published conditions reveal little in the nature of concessions to the Radical point of view. What matters now is M. Herriot's programme. Events in Germany are calculated to stiffen any French Prime Minister of no matter what party, and M. Herriot's character will be judged by his capacity. to remain reasonable in the face of provocation, and to realize that concession is not necessarily weakness. If M. Painleve was in any_ sense speaking for his Radical' colleagues at Rouen on Sunday .a Herriot administration is ready to go much ftirther in the 'direction of a reparation settlement than the Tardieu Ministry would.
