New-York tribune., 1908-06-07
CLEMENCEAU TRIUMPH
CABINET FIRMLY SEATED.
Foreign Enjoys, Encept Mr.. White.
Severely Criticised.
rsneciaI by French Cable to The Tribune.]

ICopyright. 1908. by The Tribune Association
Paris June 6-The Clemenceau Cabinet, which
came into office on October o. 1906. has wealth
cred many storms, and its downfall has been ire
quently predicted, but never with such CONN.,
dence as when NJ Clemenceau, notwithstanding
his narrow majority of 80 against loi votes N
the Senate. pluckily decided to transfer Emile
Zola's body to the Pantheon Events aided by
the hazard revolver shots of the crank Gregori,
who aimed at Dreyfus, but who has practically
killed the Nationalist party in France, nave
made the present Cabinet. IN spite of the dis
tasteful income tax BILL more popular ana
stronger than ever.
The opinion of the masses of the people was
far from unanimous in regard to the tribute
that NJ. Clemenceau accorded to Zola, not be-
cause Of lingering doubts as to the guilt OF
Dreyfus to disparagement Of Zola's moral
heroisrn, but because it was thought wiser that
ten years should eIapse after the death Of any
Frenchman before giving his body the honor OF
burial in the Pantheon. The indignation aroused
by the attempted assassination of Dreyfus has
now brought about revulsion Of feeling which
enthusiastically supports NJ. Clemenceau's &C
tion concerning Zola, and the Prime Minister
who has overturned more governments than any
other living, is now playfully nicknamed.
even by his opponents, "Clemenceau lie Per-
petuel."
OASNNNO--
ceau's renewed popularity was the attitude of
the ambassadors and ministers accredited to he
French Republic in regard to the national cere-
mony at the Pantheon. The American Ambas-
sador, Henry White, the only foreign am
bassador who present inside the Pantheon
during the Zola ceremonies. The absence OF all
the others seems to be too singular a coincidence
to be altogether unintentional. The Ambassador
of Austria-Hungary reached Paris from Vienna
the day after the ceremony. Considerable COM
ment was caused by the absence of the Russian
Ambassador, while Sir Francis BERTHE, the Brit
ish Ambassador. the ambassador of the entente
cordale, represented at the Pantheon by a
modest attache, and the German Ambassadors
absence passed without remark.
This frigid bearing of the foreign representa-
tives here in regard 10 the Clemenceau Cabinet
is felt TO be something more than mere chance
and prominent French statesman remarked to-
day to your correspondent: 1.-The American Am
bassador the only who saw fit to give
evidence Of moral courage by remaining insensi-
BILE to the subtle polished irony OF the reaction
ary smart society of the Faubourg Saint-Gerrnain
and to go in person to the Pantheon and asso-
ciate himself officially a participant in the
honors accorded to Zola by President Fallieres
and the government of the French Republic"
Other comments ELECTED by this unexpected
bearing of the diplomatic corps that on
such an important occasion the correct course
would have been for the foreign embassies to
have remained away altogether or else TO have
come out f1at-footed and attended the ceremony
with the ambassador himself at the head of his
staff, done by Mr.. White.
The outcome of this diplomatic tempest In
teapot is that republican France will never be
likely to forget the friendly act of the American
Ambassador and also that the C1emenceau Cabi-
net is more firmly seated in the saddle than
ever. c. I. B.