The New York herald., 1920-01-20
FEAR TIGER WOULD
/. ASK WIDE POWERS
SWUNG MANY VOTES
Deschanel Gained by Belief
Clemenceau Intended to
Alter Constitution.


Special Correspondent of the Herald.
Copyright, 1890, By the Ne1o York Herald
Company-Au Rights Reserped.l
Especial Gable TO the HeraId.]
PARIS Monday.
The Presidential election continues TO be
the chief topic OF conversation in Paris,
with many Senators and Deputies explain
ing why they voted for Paul Deschanel.
The chief reason. it appears, was that
they feared that, were Georges Clemenceau
elected, he might havc brought to the
Elysee Palace revolutionary principles in
10 far as the duties OF the President were
concerned. Mr.. Clemenceau is even cred
tied with the intention. in the event of his
election as President, of asking Parliament
to alter the French constitution to provide
the chief executive with as wide powers
as those possessed by the President of the
United States under the American con-
Istitution
However, Mr.. Clemenceau's intentions
remain to be proved, but no such fear is
expressed here regarding Mr.. Deschanel,
as may be gathered from excerpts from q
book by him, which is to be published soon
This book will be dedicated to Leon Michel
Gambetta, French statesman and Premier
in 1881.
Could Act by Himself.
'As regards the Presidency of the Re-
public" Mr.. Deschanel writes, "the ex-
pertinent OF 1s4S taught the Republicans
and Gambetta repeated it-that if the
alA fA1 IA -
would be in position to act without
the Chambers.
"On the other hand, certain people
think that a President elected by the
Chambers would be overshadowed by
them We're he looking toward a system
similar to that of the United States
But If the American people have given
to their President very extensive powers,
the reason was, that at that time these
powers could be applied in very few things
The Federal Constitution was only a
FACADE whose object was to join, as far as
the people We're concerned, various con-
stitutons Of states. Each state deals with
its own affairs. And it is one of the mir
acles of history that this mechanism
worked,l with all the successive develop
ments of an enormous empire-foreign
politics, colonial politics and military
policies.
Means Party Domination.
| "Tf this system was brought to mucll
centralized France for four years, nat
uraly the length of the Presidential man.
date would have to be reduced, it would
mean domination by the successful party
with the minority oppressed by the ma
jority, and would. therefore, result in less
stability and less liberty.
| ",rhe American system was meant for
federated State-for a country where
everything was decentralized. Such a
President as Grevy for instance, who had
never been u member OF a Cabinet. man.
aged to exercise extraordinary influence
OF his Cabinet. His way was to let the
Minister'S talk without interruption. and
then with much finesse, under the preteXt
of summarizing the debate, he would get
his opinion accepted.
"The opposing elements Of the Consti-
tuition OF 1876. which might have been its
weakness, turned out to be its strength,
as keystone consolidates an arch
Like ours. the American Constitution
has been a contract, treaty-a treaty of
peace"