New-York tribune., 1912-04-15
HANOTAUX'S romance
JInselfishneSs in Private Life Of
French Public Man.

V1Eu al the delegation TO sail from Havre a
aovs hence TO convey to the United
Auguste Robins bronze, represent
Rance. which is 10 be placed at the
~ =, the monument to Samuel dc Cham
~, the French explorer. next June. the
w.. distinguished, far and away. will he
Irssr,el Hanotaux, for many years one Of
,". ,,ost powerful figures in European poll
-. owing 10 his mastery direction of the
,,.,ortnoent Of Foreign Affairs on the Quai
.,o-ssv. at Paris. He is celebrated from
- end Of Europe TO the other, not alone
great statesman-when in office his
s,urtrvmen endowed him with the signif-
80, name Of "Richeleu"-but also as one
- ,be greatest of living historians.
us is not an impressive looking man. In
,.c, appearances are somewhat against
81, and when he was first appointed as
Secretary Of Embassy at Constantinople he
,,.,rred the III will OF his ambassador, the
,.ts MARQUIS de Montebello. and especially
- the Marqmse de Monticello. through his
cornplete lack of distinction of manner and
snnearance and by his STOPPING gait the
latter possibly due 10 the fact that his
,arents and all four of his grandparents
we're hard-working tillers Of the soil Pri-
vstA adyices We're at the time sent TO the
ambassador and TO the marquise from
France warning them against Hanotaux as
man Of whom 10 beware as high in the
favor OF the leading republicans at Paris
and az likely quickly to ferret out anything
mat might not he strictly republican at the
embassy. The Marquise de Monticello, be-
inr shopkeeper's daughter, was. of course
man Of such bourgeois birth. name and ap-
pearance. as q member of her husband 8
stsT
Yet before Hanotaux had been there for
nix weeks he had managed to ingratiate
himself with the ambassadress TO such an
extent that she consulted him about every
thing and 20 win the confidence Of hts chief
10 so great degree that the latter. when
he went away on his annual leave. intrust-
cd the whole conduct OF affairs TO him, in
lieu Of the chief secretary. Gambetta had
great idea OF Hanotaux and declared Of
him. "En VOLTA un homme" The only thing
against him IS his irritablity and somewhat
sour manner. queer defects in a successful
master Of diplomacy, and which are prob
ably Attributable TO the malady Of the liver
with which he has been afflicted for many
years
In 1856 he threw up his secretaryship at
Constantinople in order TO stand for the
Chamber Of Deputies. and was returned by
majority Of 400 votes over the rival Re-
publican candidate for his native depart
rent. and not long afterwerd he became
Minister Of Foreign Affairs in the second
Of the Dupuis administrations. remaining
90
Cabinet. until 1S9S-that IS TO say, for
period Of some ten or twelve years. 1t was
70 him moro than 10 any ono else that was
due the successful negotiation Of the
Franco-Russian alliance. which has been
the keynote of Frances foreign policy for
So many years In fact, he was regarded,
until the Tashoda episode (for which his
colleague. NJ DclcassG, then Minister or
the Colonies, was primarily responsibility. as
the only possible Minister Of Foreign AZ
fairs-as Frances nineteenth century
Eichelieu. 1t was to this Fashoda incident
that his retirement from Office was due,
tho blow coming douhly hard. since the
dispatch Of Major Marchand's expedition
across Africa to Fashoda was undertaken
ic defiance Of IIanotaux's protests, by his
colleague the Minister OF the Colonies. NJ.
Delcasse who was appointed TO succeed
him at the Foreign Office.
Generally when a French Cabinet min
ister falls, especially after so long a term
Of once as that Of Hanotaux, he is re-
garded rs dead from A political point of
view. But nothing Of the kim was the
case with Hanotaux. and he was at once
overwhelmed with the most lucrative offers
from the leading publishers OF France to
undertake historical works for them, works
for whit n he was exceptionally well quail
fed. not only by taste and experience but
also hv the fact that as a former Minister
o. Forei-n Affairs he had access to all
sorts % Official documents, at home and
abroad which were not at the disposal OF
tie ordinary student
Retaining his old nickname Of "Riche-
leu be continued to enjoy the loftiest
esteem az home and abroad as the most
erudte of historians and as the most Wig
orous and resourceful Of statesmen, was
invited TO preside at all sorts of national
committees and official commissions. and
was generally considered the most suitable
man for the Presidency Of the republic
when ne suddenly did something which
whila q furnished striking evidence Of his
goodness Of heart. was considered TO have
ruined him as a Presidential candidate. He
suddenly. without any warning. announced
his marriage in quiet Village near
Nantes. TO Nile. NiCtorine Meyadele, the
mother of his two children. then in their
teens Tho marriage was with the object
Of legruzing his offspring and although
his friends deplored the marriage as the
ruin OF his Presidential possibilities, yet
they could not hut applaud the generous
motives by which he was prompted in Of
fer!ng this tardy reparation to his children
and 70 their mother.
The prestige IF the republic had suffered
50 much during the Presidency OF Jules
Grtvy, from the fact that he had married
Nine. Grevy who had been his cook. only
Nhen the'r daughter now the wife Of Dan
!e! WILSON, had attained her womanhood.
that the French made up their mind that
The Presidential chair should never again
he HIed ty man whose wife was not en-
orcly above criticism and reproach. II
vas for this reason that Leonie Leon, the
devoted woman who was the Egeria of
Gambetta. persisted to the last in refusing
70 marry him. taking the ground that It
would wreck his prospects Of becoming
President of the republic. He repeatedly
urged her % wed him. especially during the
A''er part of his life but she always re-
'uSed, and il was in a quarrel following
oAe OF these demands on his part that,
eAc.a-mIng that she was an obstacle 10 his
po-ucai success. she snatchcd up pistol
ana attempted n Kill herself. Gamhctta,
III endeayoang 90 wrest the weapon from
Hef' received the wound which brought
t0oIt lis premature death, couple Of
Gays later.
II IS said { at. like this Fcoria Of Cam