Douglas Daily Dispatch

Aristide Briand Is Appointed New French Premier

Washington Views Appointment as Adding Disarmament Impetus.

PARIS, July 27. (P)—Aristide Briand, long French foreign minister and internationally known for his efforts in the cause of peace, for the tenth time in his long career will be French premier.

The veteran statesman, who has been in cabinets since 1906, this evening accepted a mandate from President Doumergue to form a ministry in succession to the cabinet which resigned this morning after premier Poincare had definitely decided he must retire because of the condition of his health. M. Briand was foreign minister in this cabinet.

The foreign affairs expert thus will again head the French ministry at the time when France is facing at the coming Hague conference the question of final liquidation of the war.

M. Briand took up an admittedly delicate task in consolidating the various opposing groups in parliament into a ministry "as a patriotic duty" after the leaders of most of the parties had told President Doumergue that he was the man of the moment.

His official conversations with the leaders will begin tomorrow but the more intimate work of sounding out the opinions of the different groups already was under way tonight. While political observers fully expect he will be successful, they admit the task is not an easy one if he is to build a ministry in such a way as to create a stable and safe majority.

WASHINGTON. July 27. (R)—Acceptance by Aristide Briand of the commission to form a new French cabinet was hailed in official circles tonight as likely to furnish an impetus toward negotiations for an international naval reduction parley.

Much credit was given former Premier Poincare by Washington officials and diplomats for the part he played in both international and domestic French affairs. Some of them noted that Poincare had successfully concluded virtually all of his efforts to put the internal problems of France on a sound basis and said

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the way was open for Briand to devote greater attention to foreign affairs.

Secretary Stimson today instructed the American embassy in Paris to express to former Premier Poincare his "very deep personal appreciation of the magnificent effort" which M. Poincare made in the debate on the ratification of the Mellon-Berenger debt agreement. He also asked that the embassy express his "great personal regret that the strain which the premier has thus undergone should undermine his health," and to convey his hopes for a speedy recovery.