South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-05

own on the French stage. Madame
de Caillavet was the greatest friend
of Anatole France, and the latter
hardly ever left her house. which
| fact drew to il every man or women
worth knowing in Paris. ON Sun
day afternoons, and Wednesday
evenings, the hospitable gates of this
house were opened wide, and admit
ted the friends of the hostess, and
of her admirer.
Friend of AnatoIe France.
Everybody knew that Anatole
/ France was her admirer, and that
1 but her and for her encouragement
I he would never have written half of
/ the delicious books, with which he
endowed the world. She was de-
voted TO him and his interests, and
she had done her best, which meant
a good deal, to try and gather a
circle worthy of him, in which he
could find solace in his work, to-
gether with perhaps just a shade
| too much, of admiration. Madame
de Caillavet was in her own way
! just as remarkable a personality as
J France himself. Very ugly, and
slightly deformed. she yet contrived
TO be fascinating. and though many
people pretended they did not care
| for her on account of her sharp and
caustic tongue, no one had been
| found who did not consider il a priv
ilege to be received by her, and ad-
mitted 10 that enchanted circle over
which she presided, in which Ana
tole France was the god and her
self his prophet.
During the Dreyfus agitation the
salon of Madame de Caillavet ac-
quired a political importance. mas
much as il became a center in
which all the details of this momor-
able affair were discussed. II was
there that one heard the latest
news; there where all the develop
ments of this cause celebre were
commented upon. At one time NJ.
| Clemenceau used 10 appear regular
| ". and he was made great deal Of
| by her and her intimate friends in
| GLIDING Anatole France, who had
not yet quarreled with him. All the
radical members of the chamber of
deputies also considered il a part Of
their parliamentary duties TO kiss
the fingers of the gracious. if sarcas-
! tic hostess, who knew so well how to
attract at her receptions all those
worth knowing among the political,
! literary or financial celebrities of
\ Paris.
/ IL was in the Avenue HOche that
l met Jaures under amusing cir
cumstances; a discussion which he
was having with a foreigner whom
letter of Introduction had brought
at Madame de Caillavet's and who
unknown Of the personality of the
man with whom he was talking
began abusing socialism. and espe-
cially Jaures himself The famous
leader of that party listened quietly,
then said: Yes, / quite under
stand your point of view. and in
deed YOU would convert me TO il it,
unfortunately. / was not Jaures my
self. and it would not do for me to
change my opinions at my age"
One may imagine the consterna-
ton of the victim Of this joke
CaiIlaux's Early Days.
At that distant time TO which |
refer. Monsieur CaillauX was. not
yet the celebrated individual he has
since become. He was only consid-
cred a very able politician and a
first-rate financier. | do not well
remember whether he had already
been in office or not, though / am
inclined TO think that such had been
the case. But at all events he was
looked upon as the man of the fu-
ture. and he got a considerable
party of deputies and of journalists
10 back him. IL is true that some
people used TO shake their heads
when they heard his name mention
ed. whilst others declared that he
nursed impossible plans. among
others those of a possible Franco
I German alliance, in favor Of which
he had been heard 10 express him
self in more than favorable terms
! one accused him of specializing on
the stock exchange. thanks to the
knowledge which he had acquired
I through his prominent position and
/