A THORNY PATH

Although M. Briand fishes peacefully in Brittainy, and Mayor Herriot "rusticates" near his native town, the success of the political revolution in France has scarcely been assured. Apparently, the overthrow of the Right was as unexpected by the Left as by everone else; and the fabrication of a new government comes as an unanticipated contingency to the victorious by bewildered Liberals. It is not improbable that the Left will discover the overthrow the ruling party by a coalition of Cissatisfied, rebellious elements a far simpler matter than the welding of these elements into a homogeneous mass capable of retaining power and administering the government.

The closest analogy, of course, to the present French crisis, is the English situation of a few months ago. In both cases, a conservative reactionary Right has been defeated by a combination of extreme and moderate forces-ranging everywhere from out and out Socialists to mind and orthodox Liberals. But the Complexity of the French problem was hardly equalled in Britian. Whereas two fairly well-defined parties united in England to defeat Mr. Bladwin, in France the divisions and allegiances are less clear-cut. The differences of opinion between the revolutionary elements are more sharply accentuated-and there will undoubtedly be greater obstacles in the way of harmonious cooperation.

Moreover, in France there does not appear to be a Ramsey MacDonald to step immediately to the foreground of ministers so admirable suited for their parts as was the case in England; M. Berriot, it is true, commands the loyalty of the great French moderate group who really made possible the downfall of M. Poincare; but that he will be able to bring the more Radical gentlemen into line is still a matter of conjecture. And his apparent unpreparedness for success does not indicate any great confidence in his power.

Every sort of pessimistic prediction, however, was made on Mr. MacDonald's accession to the Premiership; but he still holds the reins, and his grip grows stronger, if anything. Whether his French counterpart will fare so-happily will depend upon his success in finding the common purpose of his variegated groups and in keeping this bond of political fellowship swell in the fore-ground.