The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-12
|PO|NCARE SEEN BY
|. MANY FRENCHMEN
Over Million Viewed Him
on Recent Tour
RESEMBLES WILSON
France Deeply Affronted at Recent
Utterances of King Constantine
Regarding Greece's Debt to
Germany in Balkan War


Paris, October 11.-(special "A million
Frenchmen have looked into the plain,
friendly face of President Poincare dur
Ing his September excursion through
southwestern France. In automobling
T from Paris to Bordeaux, he passed
through many a town and village. He
saw 10000 troops at the autumn maneu-
vers in the Toulouse country. He met
some thousands of the important people
of the provinces through which he trav-
eled. His utterances in reply to ad-
dresses of local authorities and at pub
lie dinners have deepened the impression
that Poincare represents the new spirit
in France, the spirit of confidence, en-
ergy and action. The diction of his
h speeches has aroused the admiration of
literary France.
President Poincare and President Will
son are alike in one respect" remarked
a newspaper observer Whatever they
say will be finely phrased; why either
of them has done a thing will be ex-
planned in the best possible manner. Were
Mr.. Wilson a Frenchlnan he would be
| a fellow academician with Poincare."
The presidential party, which included
Madame Poincare. several members of
the cabinet and their wives, travelled in
/ 40 automobiles. They took intervals on
dusty roads of from 800 to 400 yards apart
so that the procession was often eight
or 10 miles long. The presence of Mad
anne Poincare and other women brought
about an innovation at official dinners
in France. 1t was arranged that the wom-
/ en- should also be guests, and so were
the wives of the provincial authorities
A white straw hat with velvet ribbons,
such as are commonly worn i'm the Creuse,
was presented to Madame Poincare at
Gueret. She laughingly took off her fash
ionable Paris toque and put on the peas
ant hat. She wore it at lunch and drove
away in IT, the country people cheering.
Four thousand persons dined with the
President at Toulouse. When they drank
his health 700 bottles of champagne were
emptied to fill the glasses once.
Offends France
French public opinion considers France
to have been humilated by the recent
speech of King, Constantine of Greece
at Potsdam when, during the banquet
given by the German Emperor, he
ascribed the successes of the Greek troops
in the Balkans to their officers knowl-
edge of Prussian military training
For a number of years French mill
thry fillSSlon, with General EyQOuX at ltS
head. has been in Greece instructing the
Greek troops and in consequence of this
France had looked upon Greek victories
as evidence of the superiority of her
military science. She was, therefore
amazed to hear that the German military
education of many of the Greek officers
was deemed by the King to have been
of more account in the victories over
the Bulgarians and Turks than the ef-
forts of her military mission.
The belief is general today that the
Potsdam utterances of the Grecian King
mark the decline of French influence in
Greece and the beginning of a Germano-
phile policy which VIII finally attach
Greece to the triple alliance. King Con-
stantine Is said to be personally less
friendly to France than was his father
and the present Queen, Sophie, was borr
a Hohenzollern.
King Constantine announces his inten-
tion of visiting Paris incognito, next
month, when he may be able by tact
full speech to soften the painful impress
sion created by his remarks In Germany