FRENCH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2560, 22 July 1909, Page 5

FRENCH POLITICS.

GABLE .NEWS!

AN UNEXPECTED CRISIS.

M. CLEMENCEAU’S GOVERNMENT

DEFEATED

UNITKD PItKSS AasOCIATJON—COPYIUGHT

(Received July 2J, 11.15 p.m.) PARIS, July 21

The Chamber of Deputies, by 212 to 176, voted no-confidence in the Cabinet, which resigned. President Fallieres accepted the resignation The, vote took place at the end of several days’ discussion on, the Navy Commissioner’s report. M. Picard minister of Marine) admitted serious mismanagement in certain departments, and' promised reorganisation, but urged that the critics were over pessimistic. M. Delcasse followed with a bitter speech, in which ho attacked the three preceding Ministers of Marine, and taunted M. Clemenceau (the Premier) with seeking'to evade tlie responsibility for the money which ought to have built several ships having been wasted upon one. He asserted that the inferior boilers had been ordered instead of Belvilles, and said that such a catastrophe as the loss of the Jena might have been averted. M. Clemenceau ridiculed M. Delcasse for presuming to talk of recklessness, seeing he had led France into the Algeciras affair, which was the greatest humiliation the nation had suffered for twenty years. Amid cheers M. Delcasse vigorously dissented.

M. Clemenceau, continuing, said: "You brought us to the gates of war when we were unprepared. I have not humiliated France. M. Delcasse humiliated her.”

After the voting M. Clemenceau and the Ministers quitted the Chamber. The crisis was quite unexpected, and was due to M. Delcasse’s brilliancy and to M. Clemenceau’s violence alienating his supporters.