Steeg's Big Five

To an oldster, to a stern radical-Socialist with a dauntless record of success, fussy little President Gaston Doumergue of France handed last week the mandate of a Prime Minister.

Once again France was to have a government of the Left. The previous cabinet, that of youngster Andre Tardieu who fell two weeks ago (TIME, Dec. 15), was of the Right. Two other statesmen, Louis Barthou (Right) and Pierre Laval (Independent), tried and failed to form cabinets. It was definitely the turn of Left Oldster Theodore Steeg.

M. Steeg held that most trying post, the Ministry of Interior (controlling in France the police) from 1912 virtually without interruption through 1920. His reputation was further enhanced by two terms of colonial administration: Governor General of Algeria (1921-25), and Resident General of Morocco (1925-29).

Last week under Prime Minister Steeg five former Prime Ministers consented to serve as ministers: Aristide Briand (Foreign Affairs); Georges Leygues (Interior) ; Louis Barthou (War); Paul Painleve (Air); Camille Chautemps (Education). That the great M. Painleve, thrice Prime Minister and often War Minister, should have consented to take the Ministry of Air seemed most significant, for previously the air portfolio has been a trifle infra dig, the prize of lesser statesmen like M. Laurent Eynac.

Paradoxically, M. Steeg and his Big Five encountered extreme opposition last week from all sections of the Paris press except papers definitely of their own persuasion. Usually any man with the mandate of Prime Minister can count, no matter what his views, on the support of Le Temps, but last week even this most "official" organ turned against the Government. On every hand editors predicted that the Steeg cabinet would surely fall when it faced the Chamber of Deputies this week. Three politicians who had accepted posts under M. Steeg as under- secretaries were scared out, resigned, explaining lamely that "the complexion of the cabinet was not exactly as at first thought."

What master hand was seen behind all this? Obviously that of M. Tardieu, journalist by profession, and among journalists the most popular French Prime Minister of all time. For once the "power of the press" was being thrown full into the scale to aid a newspaperman. Chances that M. Tardieu would succeed himself as Prime Minister brightened hourly. If in Paris there were some guilty editorial consciences, this fact eased them: both Chamber and Senate are so evenly divided between Right and Left that no real preponderance exists. The last vote of confidence in the lower house supported the Tardieu cabinet by a Right majority of 64. Few hours later the Senate upset this same cabinet by a Left majority of eight. The will of the French people remains obscure. France needs, has not had since the War, a decisive election.

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