New-York tribune., 1908-03-15
WAR ON CLEMENCEAU.
ATTACK By COMBISTES.
Nationalists Object to Honoring the
Memory Of Emile Zola.
Especial BIZ French cable 10 The Tribune J
1nnc .Tl,a TrifYyua Association

lcopyright. 1905 by The Tribune Association
Paris, March 14.-Open warfare between
Premier CIernenceau and the Comhistes, VINO
a group of extreme Radical Socialists LED
by II. Conlbes Prime Minister in the last Hadl-
cal Cabinet but one, has now broken out, and
is expected to be fruitful in sensational incl
dent First blood was drawn at banquet
given at the beginning of the week by the ad-
vanced groups of the Chamber and the Senate
to celebrate the fifteenth election Of NJ. Brisson
to the presidency of the Chamber. NJ. Comoes
seized this occasion to demand the reconstitu-
ton of the old Bloc party and to accuse Premier
Clemenceau Of forming a dangerous compact
with the Liberal Republicans.
NJ. Clenenceau, who was at the banquet, TOOK
no notice of this provocation, but he had his
revenge yesterday il the Chamber. when by d
ajority Of 40 he asserted the right OF the gov
ernment to refuse to take back into It's serves
number of functionaries, some of whom had peen
dismissed for Joining a trade union and others
for taking part in anti-nlltarist demonstrations
This vote is severe blow the aspirations of the
extreme Socialists and Radicals, and NJ Clemen-
ceau's triumph proves once more that he is the
ceverest manipulation of najorties in the French
Parliament He had to promise, however. that
certain of the dismissed functionaries should
be arnnestied later on, though from this measure
OF clernency anti-militarists TO be rlgldly
excluded.
The question of voting $4,000 for supplies to
cover the of transferring the body OF EIl4lie
Zola from Pere Lachaise Cemetery TO the fan-
theon will be debated next week in the Chan-
ber and the Nationalists. headed by Maurice
Barres, mean 10 make fierce onslaught on the
memory of the dead writer. Their objections
are both literary and political. They cannot
forgive zola for his championship of Dreyfus,
which involved him In bitter attacks upon the
French army. and they maintain that the por-
nographic inspiration of his stories has brought
disgrace upon the French name throughout the
world It is unfortunate, however that Maurlce
Barres before becoming an Academlcian and
r,outhpiece of nationalisn, should have earned
his first literary notoriety & the creator OF q
snee!al type of pornographic fiction less coarse
than that Of Zola, but OF Z more demoralzins
tendency There is no doubt that the suppiles
demanded for Zola's apotheosis at the pantheon
Will be voted by large majority, IN spite OF
the Nationalist opposition.
The optimism constantly displayed here in off,
cial circles on the subject Of the Balkan mbrogllo
and the future of Macedonia receives ample
justification In the very pacific wording OF the
official note issued from Berlin in reply TO the
proposition Of the British government that
Macedonia should be made independent
province The Echo de Paris thinks that Ger
MANY would like 10 the question buried ana
will gently and politely direct all her influence
TO bring about that solution 1t Is noted that
Sirnor Tittonf the Italian Minister of Foreign
Affairs in his speech two days ago reserved
opinion as to ths advantage Of the knsllsh
proposition. The Figaro" publishes a sugges-
tjon from the Greek Prime Minister for the
division of Macedonia into spheres of influence.
respectively governed by Bulgarian, Greek or
Servian administration, according to the racial
elements forming a majority in each sphere.
The English proposition will have the support
of France and Russia, and at present the only
direct opposition to it comes from Austria.
C l. B