Parliament Rises

"There are times when it is necessary to speak clearly. Messieurs, the whole fate of French finances rests on your decision." Such was the climax of a great speech in the Chamber of Deputies last week--a speech that came in compact, persuasive phrases from Premier Raymond Poincare. At 66 and long since a greybeard, he retains in debate the vigor and combative strength of youth. Last week, in his secondary role of Finance Minister, M. Poincare was defending his latest budget against the tacking on of a ruinously costly amendment to increase the salaries of all civil servants retroactively from August, 1926. Because civil employes are excessively numerous and vote-potent in France, many of the Deputies (reputedly a majority) felt that they dared not vote against the measure last week, fearing to displease their constituents. As they listened to M. Poincare, he wooed and persuaded them against their wills, thus: ". . . That civil servants are underpaid compared to the pre-War standard is admitted by everyone. I myself would gladly vote to give them this deserved increase, were the moneys from which it would be paid not the Government's but my own. . . . "Today, however, we must choose between wisdom and prodigality with the public funds. What the Government refuses to do is to be easily generous with the money of others. It is odious and ridiculous, to accuse the Minister of Finance Poincare of lacking in generosity. . . ." M. Poincare then pointed out that he had "generously" included in the budget the customary appropriation for pensions. Next, bold, he virtually dared the Chamber to force the resignation of his Government, saying: It is of little import for me if a ministerial crisis should discharge me from a position of some disquietude. What is in jeopardy here is not the fate of the Government, but national prosperity. It is not for or against the Government that the Chamber is going to vote, but for or against the budget of France. . . ." The Deputies, perhaps moved by M. Poincare's words and certainly influenced by the fact that they were in a hurry to disperse for their summer vacation, voted the budget unchanged and upheld the Government by a vote of 347 to 200. Notable was the small number of abstentions, 33, out of a house totaling 580. The large vote seemed positive evidence that M. Poincare's appeal had been seriously heeded by politicians often selfish and scatterbrained.

Before adjourning last week, the Chamber declared Sept. 19, 1927, a legal holiday, in honor of the expected arrival on that date of 30,000 U. S. men and women at the American Legion Convention in Paris (TIME, May 2). Further, the Chamber appropriated 3,700,000 francs ($145,000) for the Legionnaires' entertainment and decreed the issuing of a special postage stamp to be licked by Legionnaires and stuck upon their letters home. Many of these stamps, valid for the convention period only, will be treasured by thrifty recipients, locked away in strong boxes, brought out decades hence and bartered for gain.