The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-19

Continued from Page One.l
4 ing it was impossible for the premier
to keep an engagement with him set
for 10 o'clock. 1t was stated that the
wound was very slight"
On Way to See House.
Premier Clemenceau, when he was
shot, was on his way to a conference
with Col. L. NJ. House, of the Ameri-
can peace delegation, and Arthur j.
BalfQur, British foreign secretary. The
conference had been fixed for 10
o'clock, at the war office, when
important question was to have been
taken up concerning more rapid pro-
cedure before the supreme council.
| The news of, the attempted ASA sSina
| ton reach Colonel House by telephone
| from the foreign office, just he was
| starting to the Hotel de CrilIon with
| Secretary Balfour to meet Premier
| Clemenceau at the Quai d. Orsay.
| The two men at once began to con-
slider what steps should be taken re-
| garding the general situation created
| by the event.
! Word soon came that the result of
| the first examination indicated the
| premier's wound was not serious, but
| it was realized that owing to his ad-
vaEced age, he might be considera BILE
| time in such a condition that he would
not be able to give his personal atten-
/ ton to the completion of the peace
! conferences work. Owing to the fact
sonally certain subjects now under
! negotiation, it follows that SO far as
these are concerned there must be
| a suspension of activity for the time
! being, as matter of fact, these mat
| tiers are of vital importance as effect
| ing the whole plan Of the conferences
! operation inasmueh as they related to
! the contamination of an early treaty
| of peace.
News of the attack on CIemenceau
spread rapidly thru \-he cicN There
We're excited comment. on the boule-
| Yards, in the cafes and public build
i ings.
The foreign peace delegates has
| tened to inquire regarding the pre-
| mier's condition.
| Reports circulated were that the as
sailant was a Russian.
| ''Tiger'' Born in 1871.
| The Tiger" was born in 1S41. dur
| ing the, reign of Louis Philippe He
! became a fighting Republican during
| Napoleon HIS reign.
g AS a boy he preached Republica n
ism to the peasants about his birth
/ place in Vende, southwestern France
which was then a royalist center. lie
was often greeted with pitchforks.
| After studying medicine, Clemen-
ceauu went to England and later to
the United States, where he visited
| every city of importa--e and studied
!
/ English fluently.
Was a Mayor at 80.
.Clemenceau. returning to France
/ was mayor at Montmarte at so. Their,
| he was elected to the chamber of dep
! uties. AS an anti-imperialist he there
| fought Frances participation in the
| British Egyptian campaign. He was
accused of taking British gold for let
| ting England have a free hand and
| lost his seat in the chamber.
For ten years Clemenceau's adver-
saries thought him politically dead.
but he was merely preparing for re-
| entry into the arena. He founded two
or three newspapers, wrote several
| books. and then quite suddenly "came
/ back" This time he was elected to
! the senate.
| Clemenceau was premier at the
| time of the Casa Blanca affair ',e-
| tween France and Germany when, for
a time, war appeared to be inevita BILE.
Germany had insisted upon an apoI-
| ogy from France and the latter, as
Germany and everybody knew, was in
no position for war. But Clcmenceau
sent back this message;
Tell them there will be no apology
And there was none.
One Serious Defeat.
The premier met with but one seri-
GUS defeat in politics, and that was
administered by President Poincare.
| 1t rs said Clemenceau will never for
I give Poincare for winning the presi-
dency over the Clemenceau candidate,
NJ. PANS
| After the peace preliminaries got
under way, Clemenceau created an an
parently embarrassing situation by
| telling the chamber of deputies he
was In favor of retention of the bal
ance of power" system, at precisely
the same time President Wilson was
telling the British in Manchester that
1.-THE balance of power" must give way
| to the league of nations. 1t has since
deNelOned that