996 FRANCE 



Navy. While the scheme for a new naval programme had not been definitely voted, 

 some progress was made in building. Two armoured cruisers (cuirasses) of 23,000 

 tons were launched in September 1911, and by a special law passed in April of that year 

 two more units of the same type were put in hand at the dockyards. The completion 

 of six battleships of the " Danton " type in August 1911 enabled a new division of forces 

 to be made three squadrons of six armoured ships (cuirasses) each. The Naval pro- 

 gramme proposed to the Chamber in 1910 provided, on its completion in 1920, for 28 

 armoured ships (cuirasses), 10 look-out ships (eclaireurs) , 52 sea-going torpedo boats 

 (lorpillettrs de haute mer) and 10 vessels for foreign stations. It was voted by Parlia 

 ment February-March 1912. In September 1912 the Government concentrated all 

 the naval forces in the Mediterranean. Public opinion regarded this as a proof of a 

 common policy arrangement made with Great Britain. 



Anxiety as to the quality of the powder supplied for the navy has been caused by the 

 bursting of a gun on the "Gloire," and by the blowing up of the "Liberte" in Toulon har- 

 bour (September 1911). Two submarines have been lost with their crews: the "Pluviose" 

 near Calais (May 1910) and the " Vendemiaire " off Cherbourg (June 1912). 



Political History. 



The first Briand Cabinet, which came into office on July 23, 1909, lasted till Novem- 

 ber 2, 1910. The Ministry of M. Clemenceau 1 , which preceded it, went out on a personal 

 question on July 20, 1909, in the course of a navy debate which was other- 

 M. B Hand's ^gg unimportant. The Premier, having dragged in a reference to M. 



Cabinet. Delcasse and his foreign policy, drew down a sharp retort upon himself, 

 followed by an adverse division. The vote was directed against M. Clem- 

 enceau himself rather than against the policy of the ministry. He advised the President 

 of the Republic to send for one of his colleagues, M. Briand, 2 who found no difficulty 

 in forming a cabinet, taking the Ministry of the Interior himself, and allotting Justice 

 to M. Barthou, Public Works to M. Millerand, 3 Labour to M. Viviani, Finance to 

 M. Cochery, 4 War to General Brun (b. 1849), and the Navy to Admiral Boue de Lapey- 

 rere. The Ministerial declaration read in the Chamber on July 27th clearly outlined 

 the Government's intention of carrying out the social reforms of the previous cabinets; 

 Old Age Pensions, income tax, customs tariff and civil service reform (statut des fonction- 

 naires) a programme sure to satisfy the Left, while the Prime Minister's declarations 

 of his faith in Liberalism reassured the Moderates. The session came to an end almost 

 immediately. M. Briand in his Perigueux speech, made on October loth before the 

 reassembling of Parliament, dwelt further on his leanings towards a broad and tolerant 

 policy. He described the narrow policy resulting from the actual political methods in 

 a phrase which was quickly taken up, as " little pools of stagnant water." His new di- 

 rection of policy made Socialists and Socialist Radicals uneasy, but the Prime Minister 

 was able to calm their apprehensions. The deputies went hard at work as soon as 

 they reassembled (Oct. 1909). This session was the last before the general elections, 

 and they felt they must have some practical result to show their constituents. Elec- 

 toral Reform was the first question that came up (Oct. 2ist-Nov. 8th). 

 Electoral j^ na( | k ecn brought before the country for some time past by a very 

 proposals. active group (led by M. Charles Benoist, M. F. Buisson 5 and M. Jaures 6 ) 

 belonging to different parties in the Chamber, who all laid great stress on 

 proportional representation (La " R.P."). Public opinion had been roused by a vigour- 

 ous lecturing campaign. The new Cabinet was not in favour of the reform, but gave 

 way to the wish of the Chamber to discuss the proposals drafted by the Universal Suffrage 

 Commission. They were taken as a basis for general discussion, and after a debate on 

 the details the Assembly adopted a resolution in favour of establishing proportional 

 representation (Nov. 8th). The reform seemed likely to triumph, when the Pre- 



1 B. 1841 ; see R. B. vi, 482. B. 1855; see E. B. vi, 619. 



B. 1862; see R. B. iv. 515. B. 1841; see E. B. iv, 770. 



3 B. 1859; see E. B. xviii, 465. * B. 1859; see E. B. xv, 283. 



