New Britain herald., 1916-03-29
WAR RECORD HELPS
IN French POLITICS
Heroes From Trenches More Pop
ular Than Home Guard.
Correspondence of The Associated PIsss)

Correspondence of The Associated PTsssD
Paris, March 12-French politi
clans are already much interested in
the question whether it will be neces-
sary for candidates for public Office
after the re-esta blishment of peace
to have q war record. Some members
of the Chamber of Deputies who
have stuck to the Palais Bourbon in
stead of joining the army have shown
irritation at the publicity given TO
exploits of their colleagues, some Of
whom have been killed and others
like Monsieur Maginot, former as
sistant secretary of war, have been
repeatedly cited in the orders of the
| day.
War Heroes Popular.
One deputy who recently returned
to Paris on leave Of absence said he
| had found that presence at the front
was far better than an electoral
! campaign for his political interests as
we'll as for the salvation of the
| country. Besides" he said, lit is
for the cannon to do the speaking
now"
One socialist deputy, interrupting
an orator who was recalling the ex-
ploits of one of their colleagues OF
. the front, declared: "It is not his
| place: his place is here" This opir1-
ion seems to be shared by consid-
cradle majority of the parliament but
not altogether by the public. The
+ municipal council of the city of
| Neuilly whose mayor. Monsieur Nor
! tier who was also a deputy and who
| enlisted at so years of age. carried
the coIors of his regiment and was
killed on the battlefield. passed ur-
animously the following resolution:
Fighting First Duty.
THE municipal council of the
city OF NeuiIly- sur-Seine whose
Mayor deputy for the Department of
the Seine. fell upon the field of honor
considering that the defense of the
country is the first duty of a citizen,
that equality before the law is the
formal right of Frenchmen whoever
they may be and that no member of
any elective body should seek to
avoid it, that the representatives of
the people should be the first to give
the example of respect for the law
and the duties of citizens, expresses
the wish that all senator's and depu-
ties of military fitness be obliged to
do their military duty as all other
citizens"
Socialists radicals, radical social
lists and other elements of the left
see in all such illusions an attack
upon the parliament, and consider
Y able anxiety is betrayed in certain
parties as to whether this spirit will
grow and what effect it will have
on politics when hostilities have GEES
cd on the field of battle. There have
also appeared specu1ations as to the
accounts that must inevitably be
| rendered after the war by parties re-
sponsib1e for obstructing or neglect
ing the development of ornaments
in the face of Germany's obvious pre-
paration. Advanced radicals appear
S to look to the activity in Catholic
circles to renovate their anti-clericel
issue and thus offset the war Issue.
; The direction taken by political
1 movements in France is so susceptible
= of unexpected developments that
speculation is vague, but not a few
far-seeing men look for marked
changes in the next general political
campaign which in the ordinary
course of events will take place trf
the spring OF 1918 when the CHAM
Der of Deputies is renewed.
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