The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-21
CLEMENCEAU AND
CABINET RESIGN
Exciting Scene in the Chamber
of Deputies Precedes Defeat
of Government
Confident of Majority Premier
Loses His Head and Makes
the Fatal Mistake

AAOAn oeC
with the right and extreme left. un-
horsing the man whose ministry had
been the longest in the history of the
third republic. and who for three years
has been absolute master in France.
More than SO members of the ma
jority, enough to have saved the day,
were absent when the vote was taken.
Who Will Be Premier
The fall OF the cabinet was so un-
expected that the political world is
completely at sea as to who will be
Clemenceau's successor. President Fall
Heres viii consult with the presidents
OF the chambers tomorrow. The name
OF Leon Bourgeois, former premier and
former minister of foreign affairs, is
most frequently mentioned, but his age
and health are against him. NJ. Breiand.
minister Of justice. and NJ. Delcasse are
also mentioned
The socialists are overjoyed at Gle
menceau's downfall NJ. Joures. the So
cislist leader in the chamber. said:
With Clemenceau disappears the
most dangerous man in the republic"
The cabinet which has just resigned
was formed October %, 1906, and was
reorganized January 4, 1908. 1t fol-
lowed the cabinet Of which NJ. Sarrien
was premier. and NJ. Clemenceau the
minister of the interior.
Report on Navy Scandals
The chamber OF deputies March %
unanimously adopted NJ Delcasse's mo-
ton to appoint a parliamentary COM
mission to inquire into the state of the
navy before fresh credits were voted.
The commissions report was a scath-
ing condemnation Of the naval admin
istration. II made an astounding ex-
posure of the deplorsble condition of
the fleet for which France had spent
500, OO0, 900 since 1889.
It contained details of the inefficiency
resulting from confusion and red tape.
pointing out that ships were equipped
with guns of ancient model; that
shells OF a type condemned after seri-
Gus accidents were still being manu-
featured; that there was no drydock
capable OF accommodating battleships
now being built. and that there was a
lack Of reserve coal and ammunition
supplies.
The debate has been acrimonious. and
NJ Minchell. reporter Of the commits
sion, a few days ago strongly de-
nounced the governments naval policy
and declared that the public wanted to
know why in spite OF the enormous
sums appropriated. France had dropped
from second TO fifth place among the
naval powers.
Career of CIemenceau
Eugene Georges Benjamin Clemen-
ceau, the retiring premier, was born in
1S41. After obtaining his diploma as
= doctor Of medicine at Paris, he real
lied that his pronounced political opin-
ions would. as long as Napoleon III
remained upon the throne. inevitably
interfere with his career in France.
SO he came 40 the United States in
1866, lived for a time IN New York.
and then became teacher of a French
girls academy at Greenwich, Conn,
where he met Miss Mary Plummer
whom he married
Returning 10 France a few years
later. he was elected member of the
chamber OF deputies. He became the
recognized chief Of the extreme left
and in turn opposed all OF the repub-
lican ministers and contributions TO
the fall OF the De Freycinet and Jules
Ferry cabinets.