The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-11-19
Former French War Minister Is
Keeping His Silence

0rmer FRENCH war miniSieT
/ Keeping His Silence
| Paris. October s0.-ICorrespondenc
OF The Associated Press. Since hi
recent sudden resignation from tn
ministry of foreign affairs. NJ. Delcass'
has been living very quietly In hi
| modest quarters I'm Montmatre. Hi
side OF the story leading up TO the res
ignation has not been told. and h,
IS too worn out with the hard worl
OF the war to make him combative II
spreading before the public his YER
sion OF the rupture. There Is gen
eral desire. also, 10 avoid controver'
sizes which may create the impression
that government officials are at cross
purposes. And so the passing out o
this prominent figure, who was prob
ably better known in England ant
America than any man in the ministr,
is likely TO pass as one OF the In
cidents OF the war.
The Political Group.
Most ministers are surrounded by Q
political group. which. when theil
leader meets a reverse. quickly takes
up his cause and presents his side tc
the public. But Delcasse has never
figured prominently in political and
parliamentary circles, and there Is Tic
group ready to take up the cudgel in
his behalf. About all that is known 1;
that French and English diplomacy
was rather slow In realizing the Ger
man plan OF securing an ally in the
Balkans. which finally eyentuated In
Bulgaria's Joining the central powers.
This brought an outburst OF French
public sentiment. and Delcasse passed
out as having been the one who should
have foreseen and averted this Ger
man move to the southeast. Just how
ne could have averted II Is not clear,
but the chief criticism is that France
and England remained passive while
the German game I'm the Balkans was
being played with great activity and
success.
Is Strong Man.
Some of Delcasse's friends think he
is too strong man TO remain out OF
the government very long. at this time
OF need for strong men. They say
that when the Balkan storm has blown
over. Delcasse will be able to ask
HIS successors what more they have
done than they expected him TO do, In
checking German intrigues. The Eng
lisi, sentiment would probably be fla
torable to his returning, as has bal
kan course was largely the same as
that OF the British foreign Office. The
English also have n warm admiration
for Delcasse a one of the chief figures
I'm forming the entente cordiale be-
tween England and France. But his
strength. and the recognition of his
ability as a diplomatist. have always
been greater abroad. notably in Eng
land. Russia and America, than at
home.
Personal Side Of Life.
The personal side of NJ Delcasse's
life has it's peculiarities. and this has
been quite factor in bringing about
his resignation. He works and lives
very much to himself, and makes no
condolences. Even his associates in
the ministry knew little or nothing
OF how he was shaping foreign poll
cies relating to the war. He seldom
Joined them except at cabinet meet
ings when the discussion was formal,
and he was in the habit of announcing
results rather than inviting discus
sion OF what had better be done on
various pending questions. Knowing
his tendency to work out his own
plans, he was given free rein and
there was no team work" on foreign
minister. Millerand is a man OF In
tense application. lie gets absorbed
in his work at tho war Office, forgets
bis meals. stays until hate hour at
night attending TO various details, and
finally finds himself i'm a state of
physical exhaustion. Delcasse is just
the reverse. He Is a man of scrupu-
ious regularity. He gets up very early
In the morning and is one of the
earliest arrivals at the foreign office.
Nothing interrupts the. regularity OF
his lunch or other meals. He does his
work within fixed hours. and leaves
early. He goes straight home, taking
affairs. At the foreign office he wrote
many of The dispatches OF instruc-
tions much as he would do in his pri-
vate affairs. often without keeping
copies. and seldom letting their pur-
port be generally known among Of
ficials. Gradually II came to be felt
I'm the ministry that Delcasse was too
exclusive in his methods of carrying
on the foreign branch. This had a
good deal to do in bringing about the
recent change. 60
= HE Systematic Habits.
Delcasse's systematic habits also
differed much from those of other Of.
ficials. This led TO a comparison be-
tween the habits Of Millerand. the war
minister and Delcasse. the foreign
no part in the restaurant. theatre or
gay life. He goes 10 bed early. and
has a standing order that he is not
to be awakened no matter how urgent
the business may be. This was In
marked contrast to some OF his cab
met associates. who were on call
night and day on anything urgent in
their branches of war work.
Splendid Private Apartments.
AS minister OF foreign affairs. Del
casse had at his disposal the splendid
private apartments at the Quay d Or
say always set aside for the head OF
the Office. But he was the one foreign
minister who never made use oflthem.
The quarters include handsome sa-
Ions. private dining rooms. bed cham
bers, etc, with an outlook on the