The San Francisco call., 1904-08-11
FORMER HEAD
OF THE FRENCH
MINISTRY DIES

PARIS. Aug. 10.-Former Premier
Waldeck- Rousseau died at 2:45 o'clock
this Afternoon at his country residence
at Corbeil, eighteen miles from Paris,
from the effects of an operation,
which his medical attendants deemed
to be a final necessity. A similar
operation, performed in Paris some
months ago, proved partially success
full and the former Premier was we'll
enough to be removed to Corbeil,
where it was hoped that rest and the
effect of the country air would re-
store his strength. The evil. however,
was not eradicated and alarming re-
! ports regarding the condition of the
! distinguished patient had been cir
/ culated frequently.
/ When Waldeck- Rousseau was in
formed of the necessity of another
/ operation, he received the news with
4 calmness and courage. The operation
was performed at noon to-day by Pro
/ fessor Kehr, who was assisted by DR..
] Armor and three French surgeons. 1t
/ at first appeared that it would prove
successful and the patient was re-
moved from the operating table to
bed, but the pulse became more feeble,
and, despite the administration of in
/ jections of serum, the patient grad
ually sank and died without regaining
I consciousness.
priest was summoned from Paris
/ to administer the last rites to the Min
! lister, but he was too late.
When the death of the Premier be-
came known messages of condolence
/ began to arrive. The first came from
Premier Combes, who telegraphed:
L have received the news contained
1 in your telegram with the keenest
I Nerr@4 @4rnE .I.,s-- -
ck-RouSSeau the share l take in her
mourning, which is the mourning of
I all France"
! Premier Combes decided to post
pone his departure from Paris and the
( Cabinet Will meet tomorrow to con-
slider the details of the funeral. which
/ the Government desires shall be of a
national character.
Pierre Marie Erneste Waldeck-
! Rousseau was born at Nantes, France,
/ December 2, 1916, and was a son of
/ Rene Waldeck- Rousseau, at that time
a prominent member of the Assembly.
/ Waldeck-Rousseau studied at ST.
! Lazare, where he practiced for some
time before settling at Rennes. There
! he made his first entrance into poll
! tics, being elected Deputy in 1879 He
! then became prominent in the ranks
! Of the Republican Union, which was
| very conspicuous in opening the way
for innovation and the present Re-
publicanism, and was considered one
of the most prominent orators Of the
Assembly His best known work was
for the reform of the judiciary.
] He was reelected on August 81,
1881, and on November Il of the same
year, although only 80 years old, was
admitted into Gambetta's Cabinet as
Minister of the Interior The short
lived Ministry of Gambetta did not
offer a fitting chance to Waldeck-
Rousseau to prove his ability at that
time. The resignation of the Govern
ment took place on January 6, 1882.
Having been offered the same port
folio in the succeeding Cabinet, he ac-
cepted and held it until 1885. In 1886
he was elected a Senator. In 1883 he
! was entered at the bar of Paris and
has since then pleaded some of the
most important cases of the time.
On June %, 1899, Waldeck- -Rous-
seau was called upon to form his own
Ministry and after having been in Of
fee for over three years he resigned
on June 1, 1902. Shortly after his
resignation as Prime Minister. having
! been repeatedly taken i'll with trouble
Of the stomach-cancer, according to
some versionS-Waldeck Rousseau re-
1 tired from public life