THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN FRANCE 12$
Socialist parties. The official organ of the P. S. D. F. is Le Socialiste, a weekly newspaper which attacks, at times quite vehemently, the Reformatory Socialists, whom it calls " Confu- sionary Socialists." In the provinces there are many daily and weekly papers, such as Le Reveil du Nord (Lille), Le Breton socialist e (Morlaix), etc. There are three Socialistic periodicals: Le Mouvement socialiste, edited by Hubert Lagardelle, which leans toward the P. S. D. F. ; La Vie sociale, edited by F. de Pressense, a deputy; and La Revue socialiste, the manager of which is Gustave Rouanet, a deputy. The two latter have close relations with the P. S. F.
Such is the present situation of the political parties in France. The means of propaganda of which they all make use, aside from the newspapers, are lectures and public meetings. The Catholics and Socialists add to this pamphlets sold for one or two cents apiece.
The political situation of the country is reflected in the Cham- ber of Deputies. The majority that supported the Combes ministry from 1902 to 1905 was composed of different groups, namely: the "Democratic Union," led by M. fitienne; the " Radical Left," led by M. Sarrien ; the " Socialist Radical Left," led by Bienvenu Martin ; the " Group of Independent Socialists," with Jean Jaures, Aristide Briand, and F. de Pressense as leaders ; and the " Group of Revolutionary Socialists," with fidouard Vaillant and Marcel Sembat as leaders. The majority was about thirty votes. Besides these groups there were the so-called " Dis- senting Radicals," who were anxious to hold the portfolios in the new cabinet, and did not hesitate to form an alliance with the Con- servatives of all shades in order to fight the ministry of M. Combes.
M. Combes, who is seventy-two years old, was appointed president of the council in 1902, after the resignation of the ministry of Waldeck-Rousseau. He thus held office nearly three years. His cabinet was not very homogeneous, as it contained Moderate Republicans, such as Rouvier (finance), Chaumie (public instruction), and Valle (justice), as well as Socialist
