Nothing Much

Just as everyone expected, the Cabinet of Premier Laval fell and was reassembled last week; former Premier Andre Tardieu was pushed into the post he was far from anxious for, that of Minister of War; and M. Laval himself took on the duties of Foreign Minister as well as Premier. Suddenly the Surete-General clamped down a strict press censorship. International cable messages were delayed for hours. Though nothing drastic happened, there were numerous incidents in the week's news that might have been misinterpreted:

P: The day of the Cabinet crisis groups of Communists and unemployed gathered in the suburbs of Neuilly, Vitry, St. Cloud, and advanced toward the Chamber of Deputies. Gendarmes were out, automobiles full of detectives cruised alongside. Once the 8,000 marchers crossed the Seine the entire line was hustled into the Gare des Invalides, arrested en masse. Most of them were released in a few hours. No one was hurt. Albert Grzesinski, chief of the Berlin police whose schupos have caused so many deaths in Berlin riots, stood on the curb, marveled.

P: Though he had been forced to hand in his resignation, sick old Aristide Briand clung to his Foreign Office desk at the Quai d'Orsay until the last minute. Premier Laval called personally, begged him to accept an honorary Cabinet post. Brer Briand issued an acid statement: "M. Briand would prefer to study the juridical and diplomatic form in which he might contemplate eventual collaboration."

P: French unemployment, still the smallest of any great power except Russia, mounted from day to day. Thirty-two thousand were added to the rolls last week, giving a registered total of 246,709. Deputies discussed a 200,000,000-franc state lottery for their relief.

P: Last week the Government published final trade returns for the year 1931, showed that France had the biggest adverse trade balance in her history: $461,120,000. The tourist trade, a major French industry, was supine. Only 1,200,000 foreigners visited France last year compared with 3,000,000 in 1930, 4,000,000 in 1929. Worst of all, they spent 50% less per capita.

One important newcomer to the reorganized Laval cabinet is Pierre Cathala, Minister of the Interior. Unemployment and languishing business are two of the problems he must face. Even more meteoric than that of M. Laval is the career of Pierre Cathala. Thirty-eight years old, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies at the last general election. This is his great chance. French politicians call the Minister of the Interior "king maker" for he appoints and controls the prefects, and the prefects are the Government's agents in the provinces.

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