Arizona republican., 1912-12-23
French Republic Soon to Choose New President Who Will Continue Hold ing the Office for Term of Seven Years.
LAWMAKERS
 SELECT MAN
Will Probably Be Chosen from Legislative Body and Will Be Member Long Identified With Diplomatic Affairs.

 PARIS, Dec. 22.-Four weeks hence France will have elected a new presi- dent who unless something unfOre- seen should happen. will continue in office for a term of seven years. NJ. Fallieres, the present holder of the office has maue all his preparations for his impending retirement and en- gagged modest apartments not far from the American Embassy. After his re- tirement he expects to divide his time between Paris and his little estate Loupillon in southern France. where he produces in his vineyards about 600 casks of wine yearly.
 To those who are accustomed to the feverish activity, aggressive cam paigning and intense public excite ment invariably proceeding presi- dential election in the United States the universal apathy and complete lack of interest in the coming election as displayed throughout France must be a surprise and disappointment. But it must be remembered that in France the President is not elected bf lIlE pCOpit, ciS III llI6 . Ii4lth oAellCof but by the senate and chamber of deputies. meeting in joint session as National Assembly at Versailles on January 1z, once every seven years. I: is true, there were times when the approaching election of a president aroused certain amount of popular interest but those instances were rare. The coming election has not caused even flutter of interest and one may travel from one end of France to the other without hearing 9 single mention of the coming event u .s not even generally known woh is the candidates are or whether there are any candidates.
 Tn view of the fact that the presi- lent is elected by a majority vote of the combined senate and chamber or deputies and the additional fact tkat the two house are divided into large number of parties and factions ii would be impossible to predict who gill De the successful candidate, even ii all the possible candidates were known. The legislative body invar- biiy selects a man who has long been a member, and has perhaps served as president of one or the other of the chambers; who has been active in committee work, and has perhaps held portfolio in one or more min istries; who is not strenuous or ag- gressive, and has not made too many personal. enemies.
 Among those who fit into this class and who may therefore be considered possible candidates, Paul Deschanel, president of the chamber and one of it's bright lights for twenty eight years, is perhaps the foremost. He is 55 years of age and his family has great wealth. A notable candidate from the senate is Alexander Ribot three times premier and a man held in high esteem. His wife was Miss Mary Burch of Chicago and she has assisted him much in his public career. M. Ribot is nearly Il years old Other candidates are the presi- dent of the senate M. Dubost, Leor Bourgeois, Theophile Delcasse; Pre- mier Poincare and Paul Doumer.
 The general lack of interest. in the coming election is principally due tC two reasons, the fact that the people of France have no voice in the mat ter and the fact that the President of the French Republic occupies { position which, though distinguished and dignified, carries with it but little actual power. A familiar French Witticism says: The King of Grea Britain reigns. but does not govern; the President of the United states governs but does not reign; the Presi- dent of the French Republic neither reigns nor governs Nothing could more tersely and clearly state th' actual conditions in the three countries named.
 The President of the French Re public receives an annual salary O S12O,0O0 and an equal annual sum fol expenses and representation. Under the terms of the Constitution he pro mulgates the laws voted by boti chambers, and insures their execution He has a limited veto power, but i requires only a mere majority Vot to pass any law over the President veto The President selects the Min istry but, as matter of fact, he i compelled to select the men whom the leaders of the ruling party hay agreed upon beforehand. He appoint to all civil and military posts. has tn right of individual pardon, and is re sponsible only in case of high Urea son The President concludes treatie with foreign powers, but cannot de clare war without the previous asser of both chambers. Every act of tn President has to be countersigned b a Minister The Ministers are nc