Staunch Friends

Paris was threatened with a ministerial crisis when the Radical and Radical Socialist parties called upon three members of Premier Poincare's Cabinet to resign. The three Ministers: Senator Paul Strauss, Minister of Hygiene and Social Prevision; Deputy Albert Sarraut, Minister of Colonies, delegate to the Washington Conference; Deputy Paul Laffont, Under Secretary of Posts and Telegraphs.

The Radicals asked the Ministers, also Radicals, to resign because they declared that the Cabinet was supported in office by "traditional adversaries of the Republic." The Left seems entirely convinced that Premier Poincare has a sneaking regard for the Royalists, and it was partly because of this attitude that they recently voted against the Government on a question of internal policy.

The three Ministers, however, firmly refused to desert Poincare, preferring to be ousted from their Parties rather than from the Cabinet.

Said Deputy Sarraut: "In present circumstances when some Republicans seem to be doubting my Republican faith, I am proud, though a Radical and Anticlerical, to remain at the side of that great patriot, Raymond Poincare."

MM. Strauss and Laffont in affirming their intention of standing by the Premier called him " the firmest of all Republicans and the greatest of all Frenchmen."

As the Senate is much stronger in the Radical element than is the Chamber of Deputies, the decision of the three Ministers to remain faithful to their leader is said to have strengthened the Premier's position in the upper house.