The Sentinel=record., 1913-01-18
FORMER PREMIER IS NAMED PRESIDENT OF FRANCE DuR-
 ING A STORMY SESSION.
ISSUES A DUEL CHALLENGE
Two Challenges Issued During the Vote and Discussions Are After wards ithdrawn-Poincare
 Declared President.

Versailles, France, Jan. 17.-Ray- mond Sicolas Poincare, for the past twelve months premier of the French cabinet, was elected president of the republic of France today by the national assembly, composed of the members of both chambers of parlia- ment, in succession to President Ar mand Falleries, whose seven-year term expires February IS.
 The widest contuslon out of which arose two challenges to duels, mark ed the casting of the ballots.
 Premier Poincare was . chosen president on the second ballot, his plurality over his nearest competitor, Jules Pans, minister of agriculture, being 1S7 The deciding vote stood as follows:
 Raymond PoincaTe, 4S3.
 Jules Pans, 296.
 Marie Edouard Valiant, 69.
 Raymond Poincare's first words upon being officially informed of his election as president of France, were
 ''I shall try to show myself worthy of the confidence of the national as sembly. I shall forget without effort the struggles of yesterday and even the injuries. Be convinced that l shall seek in every thing and at all times to be an impartial administra- tor"
 This utteTance came when Antonin Dubost, the president of the national congress in an apartment adjoining the voting hall, read from a parch- ment the official record of the cleo ton. which was signed by M. Du bost and eight secretaries.
 While this scene was going on the deputies and senators and the spec tators crowding the galleries in the great hall, were also hearing the an nouncement of Premier Poincares victory and the defeat of Jules Pans. Poincare's strongest opponent.
 After a round of cheering the depu' ties and senators, who formed the national assembly, the women of fashion and diplomatists, among whom were Myron T. Herrick, the American ambassador to France, and other notables. hurried from the Versailles chateau to keep dinner engagements in Paris and Versailles. As they passed out attachments of 1Id aIr a1i to salute the president-elect and es- cort him to the capital.
 Raymond Poincares selection for the presidency although, made by parliament, as requiI ed by the con stitution, regarded as representing as well as the popular will of the na- tion
 The new president is now in his fifty-third year
 The president-elect is philoso- pher, writer and a member of the French academy, with notable career in French law circles. He has a peculiarity of never sending his clients bills for regal services, al ways saying they may send him what ever they consider to be the value of his work.
 Americans who have met the prem fer. have always found him inter- ested in the development and the in stitutions of the United States and accurately informed on the larger as poets of current American affairs.
 As foreign minister, Poincare greatly facilitated the work of Am bassador ferrick anw his predeces- scr at the American embassy, Robert Bacon and he gave much attention to the Franco-American committee, which sent a delegation, headed by Gabriel Hanotaux, ex-minister of for eign affairs, to the United States last year, with the Frenvs nations gift of a bronze bust, executed by Rodln, which was erected at Grown Point, lake Chaplain, in memory of the ex- plorer, Champlain.
 Premier Poincare's personal quail ties drew to his ministry an extraor- dinary group of French public men, among them Aristide Briand, Alex andre Millerand Leon Bourgeois, and Theophile Delcasse, and he is known to Frenchmen as strong man."
 The cabinet of Premier Poincare is regarded as steadfastly opposed to socialism. The most important fea- ture of the recent domestic policy of the ministry was change in the electoral system, including pTopor- tional representation of all parties and voting in the larger districts.