Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

THE POLITICAL SITUATION. 81

The Ministry must be reconstructed. The National Cabinet formed during the German sweep on Paris had been a coalition of parties, and it had aimed at representing all the groups rather than at being a mobilization of the best available talent. Administratively it had done well, though M. Millerand’s handling of the War Office had been the object of much criticism from the Army Committee of the Chamber, but it was weak in deliberative talent. In Britain Ministers seemed to be embedded in office, and wholesale changes were looked upon by those who professed to be versed in political affairs as a disaster too grave to be envisaged. In France Ministries dissolved with ease if for any reason they found themselves out of tune with the nation. The superior elasticity of the group system as it obtained in France came as a painful surprise to those who had extolled the merits of the British party arrangement. The plain truth seems to have been that in France the people’s eyes were not on the Chamber, and a change of Ministry produced only a slight impression. It was the same in Britain ; but our statesmen—less wise than the French—were unwilling to admit the unpalatable fact. They continued to believe that the continuance of each in office was indispensable to the country.

A new French Ministry was formed, with M. Briand as Premier. It was interesting as representing an effort to secure the highest administrative efficiency combined with the advisory value of the men most experienced in public life. It was, therefore, a blend of experts and elder statesmen. M. Briand was, perhaps, the most magnetic figure in French politics. Though only fifty-four, he had

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