THE FICKLE FRENCH

Sunday afternoon M. Painleve, often a premier always a mathematician, but occasionally a poor financier, departed a Chamber too uncongenial to him and his "compromise cabinet". Thus he added another of those political gestures which of late have given France the appearance of governmental epilepsy. The French nation again finds itself in a more than chaotic condition.

Already M. Painleve alone has proved that France needs more than a new cabinet to relieve her of her financial difficulties. He has tried with a rigorous sincerity to escape financial failure by political finesse and such niceties of money juggling as would have pleased the intricate minds of a medieval. If the Government is to return to any degree of normal efficiency, two issues must the faced, namely, finance and politics. And, according to the present outlook, it is almost humanly impossible to face them both, for the Frenchman who has the sanity to face the financial issue finds his political position too insecure to execute his plans.

Public opinion in France must be educated in financial matters. Here is a nice job for the newspapers.