"Sacred Union"

Grim poilus in steel helmets replaced the police guard of the Palais Bourbon one day last week. Within, the Deputies tensed expectantly. Without, an ugly-minded crowd surged and shouted. Suddenly the motor car of Premier Poincare approached at a speed which gave the mob of malcontents no option between scattering and suffering body bruises. They scattered, reassembled to hoot when he had passed safely into the Chamber. From M. Raymond Poincare, the Wartime president of France (1913-20), the post-War Premier (1922-24) who sought to collect German reparations by occupying the Ruhr, only one policy can be expected--direct, courageous action along "Capitalistic" lines. As he ascended the Tribune all the Communist Deputies and most of the Socialists leaped to their feet, stamping, screaming, hurling oaths and an occasional book, shoe, inkstand. . . . For almost five minutes absolute pandemonium reigned. From the Tribune M. Poincare looked down with a sneer only partially masked by his beard. He, ever fearless, did not sneer rashly. His compact figure stood symbol for the might of his "Sacred Union Cabinet" (TIME, Aug. 2), uniting all parties but the extreme Left groups. M. Poincare possessed, and none knew it better than he, powers which no French Premier has held since the election of 1924 returned a Chamber so evenly divided between Right and Left that it has not known its own mind with conviction for two years. Staccato Declaration. The Chamber quieted--eventually. Premier Poincare read his ministerial declaration in a crisp, resolute, staccato monotone: "The Cabinet which presents itself before you has been formed in a spirit of national reconciliation to meet the danger which threatens the value of our money, the liberty of our treasury and the equilibrium of our finances. . . . "There may arise later questions on which the Cabinet may differ, but today they are entirely in accord on the necessity, on the urgency and on the means of financial salvation. "We will submit to you in a moment a bill intended to cover the present insufficiency of our resources as compared with our commitments. To avoid for all time new risks of inflation we ask you to vote indispensable increased taxation along with the principle of important economies." Continuing, M. Poincare mentioned the debts of France to the U. S. and Britain equivocally, but in such terms as to leave no doubt at the time that he would not attempt to secure ratification for either the Mellon-Berenger or Caillaux-Churchill debt pact until the Chamber reassembles from its imminent summer recess.* Finally he demanded and secured, for the first time in French history, the passage of a "five minute rule" against filibustering. "Gagged." During the ensuing debate on a motion of confidence several Communist Deputies attempted to shout past the five minute rule, were dragged from the Tribune by ungentle ushers, shrieked, "Traitors! Assassins! We are being gagged!" Smashing Votes. Amid guttering forensics, the Cabinet received an overwhelming vote of confidence: 358 to 131. Premier Poincare smiled in his beard, moved to refer his finance bills to the Chamber Finance Committee secured a still more smashing vote: 418 to 31. Struggle. So far so excellent. But the Chamber Finance Committee voted to begin inspection of the bills 20 to 12 with 6 abstentions, (i. e. If all who abstained had voted contra the vote would have approached a tie.) Frenchmen passed the week in nervous anticipation of the Committee's reaction to bills containing the following provisos: 1) The Cabinet to receive authority to legislate by decree until December 31 (a) with respect to the dismissal of superfluous public employes (b) with authority to re-adjust taxes to the fluctuating value of the franc. 2) Railroad freight and passenger taxes to be variously increased up to 31 1/2% with similar increases in canal freight, automobile and export taxes as well as customs tariffs. 3) Income, transfer and inheritance taxes to be increased as much as 50% in the higher brackets. 4) Credits totaling two billion francs to be opened for increasing the salaries of needy state employes and to pay interest on the floating debt. The Chamber Finance Committee, having passed the bill in sections by safe but cautious majorities, returned it at last to the Deputies. The franc, after teetering up and down during the week, hung expectant on the fiscal issue. Showdown. Premier Poincare ascended the Tribune to champion these bills, designed to add eleven billion francs to the nation's revenues. "Each minute of delay in passing these measures," he rapped, "will cost the nation in excess of ten thousand francs." The Deputies, cowed definitely at last, voted 324 to 110 to forbid amendments to the bills, a victory over demagogery without French precedent in recent years. "The bills under consideration," continued M. Poincare, "are only the first stage of the Government's fiscal program. The Government will shortly convoke the National Assembly* at Versailles to vote a special constitutional law creating a sinking fund for amortizing the national floating debt." For a few moments more, crisp, compelling sentences fell from the Premier's lips. Then a vote was called upon the fiscal bills. They passed by a majority which meant that the Left bloc obstructionism had been crushed at last: 295 to 188. Once more France had invoked the "Sacred Union" with success.

*This long and adroitly worded statement tending to conciliate certain debt-obstructionist groups, did not prevent M. Poincare from countenancing a subsequent rumor that he had "changed his mind," and would secure ratification for the Franco-British debt pact at once, would seek easier terms from the U. S. *i. e. The Chamber and Senate in joint session.