Desperate Battle

In M. Briand's luggage, as he departed from London after signing the Locarno Treaties (see INTERNATIONAL), nestled a silver loving cup, the gift of Sir Austen Chamberlain. Engraved upon it were the words, A mon ami, Aristide Briand. Souvenir de Locarno. With a sigh, M. Briand quitted the scene of his greatest triumph; rushed home to Paris where his newly formed Government (TIME, Dec. 7) has none too many friends. Within a few short hours he was engaged in fighting what he himself described as the most desperate battle of his political career.

During the absence of the Premier, the Minister of Finance, M. Louis Loucheur, had drawn up a stop-gap financial bill the provisions of which could be justified only by the undoubted fiscal emergency with which France is faced. Of all Frenchmen, M. Briand alone was thought to possess sufficient prestige to jam this bill through the Chamber and Senate. Its provisions : 1) The immediate issue of 7 1/2 billion paper francs by the Bank of France; 6 billions to go to the depleted Treasury, and 1 1/2 billions to supply the needs of commerce.

2) The Bank to be reimbursed for the Government's 6 billion francs by March 15, 1926, through increased taxation as follows :

3) A fine of 10% on all taxation due this year and not paid by Dec. 31.

4) A retroactive increase in the taxes for 1925, payable not later than Jan. 1, 1926. The increase ranges from 20% on the income tax to 100% on the products of mines; with a 50% increase on all real estate, industrial and commercial profits, revenues from securities and trans- fers of such properties.

In addition a whole series of taxes "on all forms of wealth" is shortly to be proposed by M. Loucheur, to feed a sinking-fund for wiping out the internal debt.

Such was the appalling measure which M. Briand, called for the eighth time to be Premier of France, deemed inescapable. The last Herriot Cabinet and two Painleve Cabinets had fallen because those two leaders had been unable to make the Chamber stomach less bitter pills than that now offered it. All France gave ear, and crowds of fashionable Parisians swarmed in the gallery of the Chamber as M. Briand mounted the tribune.

He cleared his throat. A wag cried, "Now for the 'cello soloist!" referring to the Premier's deep and resonant voice. Gravely, as though burdened by the import of his words, M. Briand spoke: "Never has a government under my leadership found itself facing such redoubtable circumstances. . . . The Chamber has in its hands the destiny of the Nation. ... To demand such inflation and such taxation as is now necessary is to put a great responsibility upon you. . . . But I honor my countrymen in thinking that they will thank you, their representatives, if you save the country in this perilous hornby voting the national sacrifices which I now demand. . . ."

Article by article the bill was debated, while M. Loucheur, always at disadvantage in public, defended it point by point, for 14 hours, in his high pitched rather squeaky voice.

Ever M. Briand remained with-in call. When the crux of the bill, the 7 1/2 billion franc inflation clause, was about to be put to vote and trembled on the brink of failure, he ascended the tribune again.

"For the first time in my political life am clutching onto power. In the past I have sometimes longed for the freedom from responsibility which would follow the overthrow of a ministry of which I was a member. Tonight it is otherwise. In my heart I know that if you overthrow me you will have committed a grave act against our country."

M. Bokanowski, a leader of the Right, offered to support the measure if the amount of inflation were cut in two. M. Briand roared-"Never! If you would overthrow me, dare to do it now!"

Amid feverish excitement the vote was taken. M. Herriot, President of the Chamber, feared it would be so close that he descended to the floor contrary to precedent and cast his ballot for the measure. The count gave M. Briand a bare majority of six--a margin so slim that except in an emergency the Cabinet would have felt called upon to resign.

Briand scowled upon the Chamber in offended reproof: "I am dis- appointed. In this terrible situation your meagre alms of six votes is no encouragement. But it is five more than I need! With one I would have carried on!!"

Shortly the entire bill passed the Chamber by a majority of 28. Next day it passed the Senate by the overwhelming vote of 205 to 26, while senator after senator declared: "I vote in deference to your judgment, M. Briand." Former President Millerand, who blocked M. Briand's attempts to gain security for France at Cannes, was all but thrust from the Senate when he attacked the bill. The excited senators shouted: "Renegade! . . . Traitor!"

President Doumergue signed the bill. It became a law. Frenchmen at length calmed down sufficiently to give a thought to the other matters slated by the Briand Cabinet last week for early attention: 1) Immediate ratification of the Locarno Treaties (shelved during the fiscal squabble but certain to pass with acclaim). 2) Resumption of foreign debt negotiations. 3) Syrian and Moroccan affairs to be peaceably adjusted.

The French press, observers noted, took a dour view of M. Briand's personal triumph which must be backed up by supplementary legislation. Le Journal des Debats said: "What next? These measures will only suffice for three months or less. Shall we advance along the road of cumulative inflation which leads to catastrophe?"

M. Bokanowski declared publicly: "Premier Briand was victorious be- cause of his accomplishment at Locarno. He cannot, however, carry many more cargoes under that flag."