The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-02
Faulty Constitution Makes 1t
Possible, but No Conflict
Is Expected.
ny la MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoy.

III la Wv h<-'D''
D RENTER EA .,5ids y ,not Pot tSs 1si
ter OF whom has an American
wife. are the two principal candidates
for the presidency of the French re-
public, Poincare being the favorite.
The election takes place a fortnight
hence at Versailles and from that time
on until February Is. when the pres
ent chief magistrate completes his
seven years term Of office. there VIII
be two presidents OF France.
Here in America Woodrow Wilson.
who was elected President in last Nov
enber, remains a private citizen untli
March when William IL. Taft com
pletes his term and his successor Is
solemnly sworn into office. But In
France according 20 the terms or the
Constitution, the president of the re-
public becomes president from the very
moment Of his election and merely alb
stains from endeayorin TO exercise
> powers until his predecessor COM
pletes his term and leaves the Elysee'
from motives Of courtesy and consld-
Grafton.
Neither Raymond Poincare nor Alex
andre Ribot are likely TO depart from
the precedent set in the matter o!
President Fallieres when he succeed
ed Emile Doubet and therefore there
is no likelihood Of any conflict But as
suming for the sake OF argument that
A member of the extreme Right, that
q "a cav an untra- con servative. or a
member of the extreme Left and pom
teal foe Of Fallieres were elected 10
the presidency a fortnight hence II
Versailles. serious complications might
arise. For while on the one hand the
new president might justly insist upon
AZ once beginning to exercise the pow
eve with which he has become invested
nv his election to the chief magistracy'
President Fallieres would decline and
with equal right. TO give way or to
v~cate his Office until the completion OF
the term for which he has been elected,
namely. on February IS.
Thanks TO the faulty construction OF
the French Constitution and to the ne
elect of its trainers to provide for sucn
a contin gencv the courts OF law ana
more especially the council OF state,
Witch is the supreme tribunal of
France In affairs OF this kind would
exnerience an immense amount OF dlt-
ecultv in determining the question as
IN which Of the two presidents FRANCE
owed her allegiance ourliiS OiS AO"'
weeks intervening between the election
of the new president and the termina-
tion OF the term of office Of President
Fallieres.
II the presidential election taxes
-1.ca AZ versailles in that same palace
whore Louis XIV.--le Roi Soieil-held
g, e. .o,,r- er7 where the tate king WI
Ian, of Prussia was elected German
rnperor by the score of sovereigl
states of the German Confederation IN
S7l Il is for the purpose OF rendering
-. -oo,fo, in which all France and
her great oversee dependencies are in
terested. free from any interruption or
terrorism on the part of that Parislah
ponulace which has so often deter
mined the destinies OF the nation by
overturning thrones. by driving out
one government and by substituting
another in it's place. In the early days
II the Third Republic. the seat or the
.ovarnroent was at Versailles 1t was
There thar the Senate and the Cham
her of DEPUTIES carried on their dellb-
era tions and where the president made
his residence. 1t was only after
considerable amount of hesitation that
the residence of the chief magistrate
was transferred to the Elysec Palace
and the national Legislature to the