29 MARCH 1924, Page 2

* * * * M. Poincare was unexpectedly defeated in

the French Chamber on Wednesday on a purely domestic issue and he immediately resigned. This looks, on the face of it, an event of first-rate European importance, but when we write these words on Thursday it seems that M. Poineare may return to office at the request of the President. The majority against the Government was only seven, and there seems to have been some mis- understanding in the recording of proxy votes by the ushers. That is to say, some votes would have gone the other way if the deputies themselves had been present.

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