The Spectator 1925-10-31: Vol 135 Iss 5079

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No. 5,079. WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, NOV 12 19% OCTOBER 31, 1925. Price 6p.

PRINCIPAL CONTENTS. Torics : PAGI France at Home and Abroad rv ee o- T44 The Medical Profession and the Public ee TAS The Problem of the Naval Dockyards ee TAG What is Wrong with England ? as oe TAT Egypt and the New High Commissioner .. TAT The Capture of Greece by Greeks os . TAY New Zealand as an Angler's Paradise oe 751 Who Will Fly Across the Arctic? .. ee 758 Tueatre: The Seagull me ee oo t00 MororiInc Nores: The Art of Driving oe oe T54 CORRESPONDENCE: A Letter from Cambridge 2 =T5S LETTERS TO THE Epiror: Mr. Bernard Shaw's Definitions (Mr. G. Bernard Shaw) .. aie os a is The Peking Tariff Conference The Foolishness of Preaching ss ~ a Humane Slaughter: a Slaughterman’s Point of View The Itumour of Gilbert and Sullivan Book or tHe MomMeENT: toe a7 -3 <3 3 3 «Se Se Se Oe oe 7 -~} ~2 ~2 Lord Ullswater’s Reminiscences i ee oe Books : The World as Mathematies .. 778 The Conquest of Disease ea 779 Episcopal Counsels Fs oe “s 779 Furniture in England .. “6 ne a én Fixnanck—Pcusiic AND PRIVATE: Banking and Insurance Shares (Arthur W. Kiddy) .. 788 FINANCIAL SUPPLEMENT (sec separate Index, p. 7638).

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NEWS OF THE WEEK M PAINLEVE’S Government has resigned and the 4¥Re hopes of an immediate scheme for financial re- covery go with it. The fall of the Government comes at a most unfortunate moment when the French nation recog- nizes that the war in Morocco is far from ended and that the confused and highly dangerous situation in Syria has laid a new burden of responsibility and anxiety upon France. The resignation of the Government which took place on Tuesday was decided upon by the majority of the Cabinet as the only available means of getting rid of M. Caillaux. M. Caillaux tried to persuade the Cabinet to have the issue debated in Parliament, as he argued with a good deal of reason that though he had been bitterly attacked he had had no opportunity of formally defending himself. The personality of M. Cailiaux, as we have explained in our first leading article, is at the trouble. Nevertheless, he stood for relieving public finance French the bottom of all for a good and sound cause of its political inspiration and for restoring credit by the only possible remedy, which is adequate taxation and the honouring of debts. . »” * * * Tt is said that M. Caillaux was * tmpossible ~ because he would not consider the opinions of the Socialists, whose support was necessary to the Government, but tt must be pointed out that whereas he had a policy, or at all events a skeleton of a policy, the Socialists had none. It is true that the Socialists demand a Capital Levy, but they accepted the wishy-washy, almost meaningless, resolution of the recent Nice Conference at which an attempt was made to patch up the differences of the Ministerial groups. The whole matter may be summed up by saying that in an attempt to keep the Cartel des Gauches intact M. Caillaux has been thrown overboard. The decision to resign was in the end a political decision which had nothing to do with finance. M. Painlevé’s new Ministry, whatever form it may take, will apparently be further off than ever from the happy discovery of a finan- cial formula that will unite a suflicient number of groups. * aK * * We have written in our first leading article about the deplorable events at Damascus. We shall not ourselves to any of the estimates of the damage done or commit of the number of lives !ost,as the reports are contradictory, and we can well believe that there has been exaggeration. It is plain enough, however, that the bombardment of Damascus by artillery and aeroplanes while the majority of the civil population were still in the city was in the nature of a panic measure. This is not to say, of course, that there was actual panic among the military staff who directed operations; but the methods and the results were those which are generally associated with panic. The action taken seems to have been quite dispropor- The allegation that the foreign colonies —except the French—were not warned and were offered no sort of protection is a very grave one. If it is true * The Lost Rules of War” are even more lost than The trouble is by ne means over, and the tionate to the danger. we thought. latest reports show that citizens are still fleeing from the city. * * * * It is only fair to say that Frenchmen at home are as much concerned as foreign observers about the events in Syria. It is to be expected that if General Sarrail, the High Commissioner, is not recalled he will at least be required as soon as possible to give an account of his stewardship. Finally, it is very important to remember that France holds Syria mandate from the League. What would Great Britain do if in some country for which she held a mandate scenes of horror and destruction had occurred like those at Damascus ? Surely she would ask for an immediate inquiry by the League, and if she felt able to exculpate her representatives under a she would state her case to the League and would ask for an acquittal at the bar of public opinion. We do not know how this reasoning would appeal to the French Govern. ment, but we shall not rule out the possibility that some- how or other they will show a willingness to seek the If they fail to make a sign the League ought spontaneously to raise the question, judgment of the League. a * * * As regards Morocco, the well-informed Tangier corre- spondent of the Times said in Wednesday's paper that