Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-08-29
PREMIER
DIRECTS FRANCE IN WAR CRISIS


Rene visiani, prime minister of
France only since June II, but nov
suddenly called upon to direct the af-
fairs Of the nation in the greatest war
the world has ever known, is native
Of Aloiers who has become a thorough
Partisan. a Socialist who enjoys king,
a noet who is hard-headed business
man. gentleman of elegant manners
and elegant clothes who champions the
cause of the working classes. He has
been independent of his party in the
chamber Of Deputies, but has never
tbeless managed to keep its confidence.
He has antagonized the aristoeraey,
but contrived to preserve many per-
sonal friendships in IT..
He was chosen to fill the present po'
sition by President Poineare after two
politieal veterans, Ribot and Doumer'
que. had failed to form cabinets ant
Deleasse had declined to try. Vivian
is an obliging person who can never re-
fuse n friend service and Poincarc
turned to him as last resort to save
himself in the presidential chair. vi
yiani went to work, shifting positions
here and changing them there, getting
cabinet together when everybody said
I II could not be done, and obtaining a
vote of confidence in it two days later
nv the Chamber of Deputies when ev-
crvbody said it would be impossible.
Meets Russia's Strong Man.
A few days more and Viviani was
on board the battleship France in com.
pany with President Poincare, bound
for Russia, to pay visit of state to
frances ally, whom France serves as
banker and at whose behest it has now
gone to war with Germany. Viviani
r had but few hours in st. Petersburg
but there was plenty of time for Rus
sia' IS strong man." Prime Minister
Ivan Goremykin, to come to an under
standing with him. Goremykin is o
man of IS, while viviani is 81. Gore
mykin IS strong viii and reaetionary
principles dominate his imperial master
/ and determine Russia s destiny. One
can be reasonably certain that they
will seek to determine frances also
through Viviani, if Goremykin ear
bring it about.
frances other ally in the war, Eng
land, has Prime Minister Asquith al
the helm of state, only ten years oldel
than Viviani, but an old man bowed
down by the heavy responsibilities o.
past years of office, whose snow-whit'
hair and almost haggard face contras
strikingly with Viviani s youthful eye
and fresh complexion.
1t was in 1906, the year that Asquitl
became prime minister, with six year
of cabinet service behind him, that vi
viani first took cabinet rank in France
Clemenceau, then prime minister, mad
him minister of labor, creating the of
flee for him in response to the demand
of the Socialists. Viviani had bee
their ardent champion for many years
: openly advocating the right OF tn
: workingmen to strike for higher wage
! or better hours.
Through Several Bad Strikes.
He was minister of labor for fou
years and went through the strike Q
: the postoffice employees, who on Marc
: 10, 1909, left four million letters an
< two hundred thousand kilograms und'
. livered; the partial strike of the ele'
: tricians. who attempted to plunge til
: city of Paris in total darkness, and til
strike of the railway employees, wh
: tried to tie up all the transportatio
|; Viviani Is radical Socialism has bee
< somewhat softened since then.
J. 1t is marvellous achievement fl
' him still to retain the Socialist suppo
=" in his political program. 1t contain
Z an unqualified support of the measu
X passed last year in the Chamber
X Deputies, practically by the commar
!. of Russia, providing for three-ye'
military service, which was violent
opposed by the Socialist political part
Jaures. its leader, was shot down
v Paris recently in consequence of h
= party s antagonism to his bill.
Viviani is at the head of the sixtie
government in France since the pr
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