Cat or Kitten?

The turmoil of French politics subsided as quickly as it began. The events of last week, incomprehensible though they seem, were, viewed in the glowing after-light, the outcome of logic and political wisdom, no matter how salutary in effect they may be.

Ex-Premier Aristide Briand failed to form a Cabinet. He wanted the support and representation of the entire cartel des gauches (Left bloc), but the Unified Socialists refused to accept such conditions.

President Gaston Doumergue did not, contrary to expectation, invite M. Briand to take another shot at Ministry-making; instead, he called for the second time upon ex-Premier Paul Painleve who, during the crisis, had been botanizing in the Bois de Boulogne, who subsequently succeeded in forming a Cabinet:

Paul Painleve Premier, War

Jules Steeg Vice Premier, Justice

Aristide Briand Foreign Affairs

Joseph Caillaux Finance

A. Schrameck Interior

Emile Borel Marine

Charles Chaumet Commerce

Andre Hesse Colonies

Antoine Durafour Labor

*Anatole de Monzie Education

Pierre Laval Public Works

Jean Duran Agriculture

Louis Anteriou Pensions

UNDER SECRETARIES:

Jammy Schmidt Liberated Regions

Jean Ossola War

Charles Danielou Merchant Marine

*Laurent-Eynac Air

Yvon Delbos Fine Arts

The new Cabinet was conspicuous for the inclusion of MM. Briand and Caillaux. The former is moderate and has seven times been Premier of France. His foreign policy is not likely to differ from that pursued by ex-Premier Edouard Herriot who was his own Foreign Minister, except that he is likely to be firmer on all points.

The return of Joseph Caillaux for many years predicted, was almost the sole topic of conversation in the capital. It was, above all, considered extraordinary that he and Briand should be in the same Cabinet, for it was the latter who, in 1916, authorized the Italian Government to arrest Caillaux for giving vent to his Germanophile credo, thereby endangering France's alliances, or so it was said.

It is only a few months since Caillaux, a hawk-nosed, bald-pated man with an aristocratic bearing and a pair of dark, shrewd, inquisitive eyes, was liberated from the banishment to which he was sentenced in 1920 by the Senatorial High Court (TIME, Dec. 1). He immediately went to Paris and began forthwith to pull political strings. He reminded the enthusiastic Radicals and Socialists who greeted him as a prodigal son that he was and always has been a moderate Republican. It was a shrewd bid for power, for Caillaux knew that he could never appear before the Senate with any hope of victory unless he gathered the Moderate Right to his standard. He made friends by declaring himself against a capital levy; he stimulated confidence by shutting up like an oyster on the religious question; and for these two reasons he has massed a sufficient number of Senators who are prepared to give him a trial.

Apart from the fact that a considerable feeling is still evinced by a large section of the French public against M. Caillaux and that any Government of which he is a member is certain to be short-lived, all Paris and doubtless most of France were on pins and needles to know what this great financier, the man who introduced the income tax in France, proposed to do about the 70,000,000,000 francs of debt that the Treasury must meet this year. Curiosity was dampened by M. Caillaux himself:

"Neither exceptional measures nor extraordinary solutions must be expected. I will content myself for the present by taking immediately necessary steps and realizing possible accomplishments, which must not be considered definite solutions."

The new Government's program was awaited with much interest, but not a Minister was disposed to let the cat prematurely out of the bag. Indeed, from all the signs and portents, the cat is likely to be a kitten.

*Previously members of M. Harriot's Cabinet.