The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-18

banely declined, the Tiger resumed his
campaign with Increased vigor. The
name Pans was ALWAYS m
his lips, In the lobbies of the two cham
bers, In newspaper offices and finally on
presidential day at Versailles. Very
nearly duel with M. Poincare-so fierce
and outrageous was the antagonism of
the Tiger" Nor did the .Tiger, at
tempt to conceal his ferocity when M.
Pans was defeated. m. Clemenceau
looked sallower than ever. He left the
palace in a fury" wrote the correspond
ent of London paper at the time All!
me, the blunders, the short sightedness
of even the most experienced and power
full French statesmen! The very name
Pans should have been a warning to
astute worldly wise M. Clemenceau For.
in artistic and irreverent French, there
is much in a name.
The Elysee Telephone
In France. too. ridicule kills. Pans
Pams-Pams!" laughed the boulevarder
In his cafe on the day after the presiden-
tial election. 'Ce pauvre Pamsw
grinned the bourgeois, whilst rolling up
tobacco in a special brand of cigarette
papers labelled JOB" For 1t was out of
the job cigarette papers that NJ. Pans
made his great fortune. And because of
his cigarette papers he was inconsistently
appointed minister of agriculture! And
agriculture-or politics-or anything-M.
Clemenceau resolved that poor rich little
M. Pans should become president of the
republic, And because of these circum-
stances the Tiger" thought cyncally to
himself. "once Pans at the Elysee, l my
self shall be the master" At all this
audacity and incoherencey behold Paris
in ecstacies. Mr.. Alfred Capus-most de-
lightful of French playwrights-has taken
up the matter in his weekly article in the
Figaro" But he does not sigh for
condole with NJ. PANS he congratulates
him. Happy NJ. Pans: lucky NJ. PANS
free, Independent M. Pans. not to have
been established in the elysee through
the efforts of the "Tigeri' Had the
Tiger" succeeded In his selfish design,
how the telephone bell in the Elysee would
have rung and rung for President Pans
and what sharp. tigerish instructions the
presidential ears would nave nervously
received Pans. you are doing nothing
Pans. you are doing too much. Pans
you must do this; Pans, I am disgusted
with you. Mais oui, mais oui, mais oui-
disguised, I say. Nom dun nom, this
won't do. Mais non mais non. mais non
why did | place you at the Elysee, tell
me that instantaneousy? All. you un-
derstand ah. ou became reasonable at
last. Eth bien, mon petit Pans now you
know what to do
Nor is M. Capuss imaginary article a
sheer, irresponsible comedy, such as he
might produce on the stage of the vaude-
vile or varieties. NJ. Clemenceau is
despot-the fercest despot in republican
France. When. after "wrecking' minis
tries for number of years out of pro-
fessed indignation for their tyranny"
M. Clemenceau himself became prime
minister-his own tyranny speedily
caused him to be denominated The
Tiger He directed every state de-
partment. He was always and always
issuing preemptory. Instructions to the
perfects of the provinces. He dismissed,
he appointed, he approved, he objected;
with the same startling and savage rap
idity. Government officials desperately
exclaimed: II am here today: but heaven
only knows what Clemenceau will do
with me tomorrow"
The truth was. NJ. Clemenceau knew his
meter. A tried and hardened politician,
he had lost faith in political purity and
integrity-all was flattery and jobbery-
Monsieur x of the senate he knew to be
a hypocrite and Monsieur z of the palais
bourbon an adventurer-others were lies
derniers des miserables let them all
be shaken and petrified by me. Georges
Clemenceau. the Tiger, And he shook
and he petrified the French parliamen-
tarians. And he did good, and he did
harm-but never lost his head; that small,
sallow, yet perfectly shaped head: until
there entered into it the impossible reso-
luton that an obscure agricultural min
lister, named Pans, alis Job" of ciga-
rette renown-"one sou, only one sou, the
packet Of 30 papers".-should become his
mouthpiece In the Elysee.
Oh dear, those misguided resolutions of
even the astutest French politicians!
Fancy Pans. with his frail, ephemeral
cigarette papers. having indirectly
wrecked ''wreclSer of Ministries and
reduced Tiger to ridicule. Such
things happen only in dear, wonderful
France. But is is gay that there should
be a Pans; excellent that there should
be less despotic Georges Clemenceau;
admirable that urbane. imperturable M.
Raymond Poincare should take possess
sion Of the Elysee.