Tabby Cabinet

In Paris, which plays cat to Berlin's dog, a mild tabby Cabinet was quietly brought forth last week, while German militarists and Junkers whelped a canine Cabinet (see col. 2).

Distinctly tabbyish is Edouard Herriot, plump and wavy-haired Mayor of Lyons! whose so-called Radical-Socialist Party won the French Chamber of Deputies election (TIME, May 16). Not the least bit radical. M. Herriot's party decided in caucus last week not to join forces with the mild French Socialists whose support is needed to cement a strong Herriot Cabinet majority. Taking a chance that the Socialists would not seriously oppose him, M. Herriot called by arrangement on new French President Albert Lebrun, was asked to form a Cabinet and produced, 15 hours later, the following safe & sane slate of predominantly Radical-Socialist tabbies:

Premier & Minister of Foreign Affairs--Edouard Herriot

Vice-Premier & Minister of the Interior--Camilla Chautemps

Justice--Rene-Renoult

War--Joseph Paul-Boncour

Navy--Georges Leygues

Air--Paul Painleve

Finance--Louis Germain-Martin

Budget--Maurice Palmade

Colonies--Albert Sarraut

Commerce--Jean Durand

Posts & Telegraphs--Dr. Henri Queille

Labor--Albert Dalimier

Public Works--Edouard Daladier

Education--Anatole de Monzie

Agriculture--Abel Gardey

Public Health--Justin Bodart

Pensions--Aime Berthod

Merchant Marine--Leon Meyer

Talkative, easygoing, amiable Premier Herriot thus was seen to have expanded the Cabinet to 18 portfolios, whereas his curt, nervous, kinetic predecessor Andre Tardieu compressed the previous Cabinet to 13 (TIME, March 7). Probably most Frenchmen are vaguely pleased by the change. They nicknamed M. Tardieu somewhat contemptuously L'Americain, mistrusted his go-getting methods, his efficiency scheme of rolling the Ministries of War. Navy and Air into one Ministry of Defense.

Prior to the formation of the new Cabinet, the Chamber and Senate elected their own officers last week. Since the Senators had lost their Speaker, because of his being chosen President of France, they had to cast about for someone new. chose pompous, scholarly 68-year-old Senator Jules Jeanneney, Radical Socialist. The Chamber as a matter of course re- elected by a landslide vote of 50440-50 tall. bold, hot-tempered Ferdinand Buisson, Socialist. Famed for his zesty anecdotes, Deputy Buisson is the political darling of Marseilles (as Premier Herriot is of Lyons). He presides over the Chamber loudly, is fond of bellowing: "You over there! Yes, I mean you!! Sit down!!! Your chance to speak, Monsieur, will come in one little moment."

The new Cabinet faces a budgetary deficit '(estimated between $120,000,000 and $160,000,000), despite the fact that French gold stocks run a close second to those of the U. S. Much of this deficit France has incurred by "political loans" to countries which are her satellites--a state of affairs which the Bank of France was brusquely curbing last week (see p. 18). With unemployment severe, but less so than in other Great Powers, and with French thrift bulwarking the private citizen for some time to come. Premier Herriot could & did turn the first thoughts of his Cabinet toward world problems.

"I shall serve human interests!" he cried. "I shall serve also this French people from whom I have sprung and whom I have a good right to love with a particular affection. ... I wish to work," concluded Orator Herriot, "for the whole range of great human interests in this terribly difficult period!"

Further the new Premier did not reveal his plans or policies last week. Bearing in mind his well known Liberal views, the course his Cabinet will take could be negatively deduced from M. Herriot's refusal last week to support a Socialist program which contained these leading points: 1) reduction of military expenses to the 1928 level; 2) retention of the limited French unemployment relief no matter what economies are effected to balance the budget; 3) nationalization of those French railways not already run by the State; 4) Government control of banking and all large fiscal operations.

In a word, though he calls himself Radical-Socialist, Premier Herriot set himself last week as cosily as Ramsay MacDonald and Herbert Hoover against any encroachment upon Capitalism.

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