Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-14
In Meniorian.

In Memoriam.
Those who know the Paris Temps,
as thousands of American tourists do,
know how admirable a paper it is,
especially in its foreign news. In
this department it has always been
unrivalled. In January of last year
it had the ill-fortune to lose by death
its foreign editor, the distinguished
and widely known M. de Pressense.
NJ. de Pressense rendered great SER
vice to the public life of his time and
as foreign editor he had all the
qualifications necessary in the incum-
bency of such a post. One who read
his daily leading article in the Temps
was kept thoroughly informed in the
news of the world and his disquisi-
tions on political affairs in the United
States were as Illuminating as those
upon affairs in Germany Austria or
Italy. His great merit for years lay
in his absolute impartiality on all
questions. During the progress of
the Russo Japanese war his paper,
with the Tribuna, of Rome, and one
or two German journals, were the only
newspapers in the world of Europe
which gave anything like a correct
account OF the operations in the field,
or the region in which the campaigns
were carried on.
By birth, NJ de Pressense was con-
nected with the cultured and active
section of French Protestantism. his
father having been the founder of the
influential Revue Chretienne. He was
also member of the Senate and
Mime. de Pressense was Il well-known
writer on religious subjects.
M. de Pressense began his career in
the diplomatic service. thus gaining
"a knnUrlpdera nf tho lon
ages in Europe and of its principal
capitals. He was also thoroughly ac-
quainted with the German and Eng
lish languages and in his fifteen years
of service as foreign editor of the
Temps he showed a deep sympathy
with English ideals, which English
men repaid with genuine admiration
and respect. He was also singularly
appreciative of the progress of events
in the United States, writing of them
with depth of understanding and an
impartiality to be found In no other
European paper.
With the advent of the Dreyfus
affair the career of NJ. de Pressense
came to crisis. He quickly OWNED
the terrible plot which was to ami
hilate the Jew in the French army.
and he espoused the cause of the vic
tim with an ardor not to be outdone
eNell ny THAT OF LO1d himself. lie
neglected his interest In information
politics and Joined hands with NJ.
Clemenceau, of the Aurore, i'm the
battle to save the prosecuted major.
1t is rather a coincidence to record,
too, that he and General Picquart,
also one of the most prominent figures
in the Dreyfus case, should have died
within twenty-four hours of each
other.
In his declining years NJ de Pres
sense suffered much from i'll health,
and became rather convert to mys-
ticism. Finally, he became deeply
absorbed in socialism, and even al
lowed his new creed to assume promi-
hence in the columns of the Temps.
He was elected Socialist deputy for
Lyons in 1902, and then resigned from
the Temps.
Another change in the staff of the
Temps, caused by the death of NJ.
Jules Claretie. is that M. Abel Her.
mant, the novelist, will hereafter
write for the paper the column
written by NJ. Claretie.