Le Figaro
- For reforms that pay
- The attempt on Mr Mussolini’s life
- The Locarno treaties were deposited yesterday at the League Secretariat
The reform column probes the mismatch between abolished administrative offices and surviving electoral labels, explicitly marking an inference about councillors. A diplomatic report attributes attacks on French tolerance to Italian newspapers. The Geneva dispatch, by contrast, describes the completed deposit of Locarno ratifications and the conditions enabling entry into force.
Translation
For reforms that “pay”
For reforms that “pay”
The decree abolishing 106 subprefectures leaves an ambiguity.
Was the arrondissement abolished along with the subprefecture? At first sight, the question may seem odd. But the oddity lies in the decree itself.
The decree transfers the subprefect, the services and the subprefecture’s employees to another seat. It also attaches the old arrondissement’s cantons to a new administrative centre. One naturally concludes that the old arrondissement has been abolished and that its former centre is entitled only to be called a cantonal centre. Perfectly clear!
In truth, it is less clear than you think. What becomes of the arrondissement council? In the absence of an explicit provision, we suppose that each canton’s councillor will follow the fate of his canton and thus sit on the arrondissement council at the new centre. Very well. But the explanatory statement expressly specifies that the electoral arrondissement is not abolished. Thus a small town that has lost its subprefect may continue, until further notice, to call itself the “centre of an electoral arrondissement.”
The title is all the more empty because the electoral arrondissement existed in practice only for the arrondissement council, which will be abolished, and never existed for legislative elections, held by department or constituency. It is rather amusing that, to keep alive the hopes of supporters of single-member voting, the abolition of subprefectures is accompanied by the creation of a mythical “electoral arrondissement,” with no legislative basis and no use.
The attempt on Mr Mussolini — Poincaré received Italy’s ambassador yesterday
The attempt on Mr Mussolini
Poincaré received Italy’s ambassador yesterday
In the absence of Foreign Minister Briand, who is occupied in Geneva, Prime Minister Poincaré received Romano Avezzana, Italy’s ambassador to France, yesterday morning concerning the incidents raised by the Italian press after the recent attempt on Mr Mussolini’s life.
Most Italian newspapers, notably the […] and the […], persist in maintaining that the French government has so far shown opponents of the Fascist regime a degree of tolerance that is inadmissible and incompatible with a desire to maintain friendly relations with Italy.
The newspapers announce that the numerous arrests in Italy include that of the anarchist Henri Malatesta.
The whole Luccetti family has been arrested at Avenza.
Locarno treaties deposited yesterday at the League secretariat
Locarno treaties deposited yesterday at the League secretariat
Geneva, September 14. Ratification of the Locarno treaties and conventions took place this morning in the office of the League of Nations secretary-general.
The instruments of ratification were deposited by the representatives of all the signatory states: Stresemann (Germany), de Brouckère (Belgium), Sir Austen Chamberlain (Great Britain), Briand (France), Scialoja (Italy), Zaleski (Poland) and Beneš (Czechoslovakia).
With all ratifications deposited and Germany having become a member of the League of Nations, these treaties and conventions enter into force today in accordance with their provisions.
Context
Why closing an office could unsettle a town’s political status
Poincaré’s 1926 reorganization abolished 106 subprefectures as part of a wider restructuring of territorial administration. These offices also helped define a town’s place in the administrative hierarchy. The editorial’s questions arise because moving officials and services does not automatically settle what happens to representative councils or electoral labels. Its demand for reforms that “pay” targets the cost and confusion of preserving prestigious names after their practical functions have changed.
Why France’s treatment of exiles reached the prime minister
Italian press criticism attempts to make the French government answer for the activities of opponents of Fascism on its territory. Mussolini’s dictatorship gives that demand a broader context: people whom Italy treats as enemies of the regime may seek refuge or organize abroad. Poincaré’s meeting with the ambassador takes this dispute from newspaper accusations into official diplomacy. It concerns how far one government can expect another to restrict its political opponents in the name of friendly relations.
What depositing ratifications accomplished at Locarno
A negotiated treaty still needs the formal steps specified for it to become binding. The Locarno mutual-guarantee treaty’s official record gives September 14, 1926 as its entry into force. The newspaper identifies the combined conditions being met: the instruments had been deposited and Germany had entered the League. The ceremonial gathering thus marked an institutional change, carrying the earlier political agreement into an operative treaty framework.
Original
Pour dm réformes qui « paient )}
Pour dm réformes
qui « paient )}
Le décret qui a supprimé cent
six sous-préfectures, laisse subsis-
ter uné équivoque.
t.n même temps que la sous-prétecture,
Mt-on supprimé l'arrondissement ? Cette
question peut paraître, à première vue,
bizarre. Mais la bizarrerie est dans le dé-
cret même.
Le décret transfère à un, autre siège le
seùs-préfet, les services et les employés de
la sous-préfecture? De plus il rattache à un
nouveau chef-lieu les cantons de l'ancien
arrondissement. D'où l'on conclut bien que
cet ancien arrondissement est supprimé et
que l'ancien chef-lieu dudit arrondisse-
ment n'a plus droit qu'au titre de chef-
lieu de canton. La clarté même
A vrai dire, la clarté est moindre que
vous ne croyez. En effet, que devient le
conseil d'arrondissement ? Faute de texte
explicite, nous supposons que le conseiller
de chaque canton su^xa le,. soct.de. «on ^can-
ton et, par suite, siégera au conseil d'ar-
rondissement du nouveau chef-lieu. Soit.
Mais l'exposé des motifs précise formelle-
ment que l'arrondissement électoral n'est
pas supprimé. De sorte que telle petite ville
qui aura perdu son sous-préfet pourra con
tinuer à s'intituler jusqu'à nouvel ordre
« chef-lieu d'arrondissement électoral ».
Titre d'autant plus platonique que l'arron-
dissement électoral n'existait, en fait, que
pour le conseil d'arrondissement, lequel sera
supprimé, et n'a jamais existé pour les élec-
tions législatives, lesquelles ont lieu par dé-
partement ou par circonscription. Il est as-
sez amusant de constater que, pour ména-
ger les espoirs des partisans du scrutin uni-
nominal, alors qu'on supprime les sous-pré-
fectures, on crée un « arrondissement élec-
toral » mythique, privé de toute base légis-
lative et sans emploi.
L'ATTENTAT CONTRE 1. MUSSOLINI
L'ATTENTAT CONTRE 1. MUSSOLINI
M. poiiicaré a reçu hier
l'ambassadeur d'Italie
En l'absence de M. Briand, ministre des
affaires étrangères, retenu à Genève, M.
Poincaré, président du Conseil, a reçu
hier matin M. Romano Avezzana, ambas-
sadeur d'Italie en France, à propos des
incidents soulevés par la presse italienne
lors du récent attentat contre M. Musso-
lini.
La plupart des journaux italiens, notam-
ment le Carrière d'Italia et 'la' Tribund,
persistent à soutenir que le gouvernement
français a montré jusqu'ici, envers les ad-
versaires du régime fasciste, un esprit de
tolérance inadmissible et incompatible
avec le désir de maintenir des relations
amicales avec l'Italie.
Les journaux annoncent que, parmi les
nombreuses arrestations opérées en Italie,
figure celle de l'anarchiste Henri Mala-
testa. ̃ ̃ > ̃ v >' <>
Toute la famille Se Luccetti, a, eÇe arrê-
tée à Avenza.
Les traités de Locarno ont été déposés hier au secrétariat de la S. D. N.
Les traités de Locarno
ont été déposés hier
au secrétariat de la S. D. N.
.s.
GENÈVE, 14 septembre. La ratifica-
tion des traités et conventions de Locarno
a eu lieu ce matin dans le bureau du secré-
taire général de la S. D. N.
Les instruments de ratification ont été
déposés par les représentants de tous les
Etats signataires, c'est-à-dire MM. Stre-
semann (Allemagne), de Brouckère (Belgi-
que), sir Austen Chamberlain (Grande-
Bretagne), Briand (France), Scialoja (Ita-
lie), Zaleski (Pologne) et Benès (Tchéco-
slovaquie).
Toutes les ratifications ayant été dépo-
sées et l'Allema?ne étant devenue mem-
bre de la Sociéte des Nations, ces traités
et conventions entrent en vigueur dès au-
jourd'hui, conformément aux dispositions
prévues.