New-York tribune., 1920-02-02
Leon Doudet
A New Figure in French Poll.
tics With an Old Name

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Leon Daudet, who made TIM
vitrioic attack on Jules Steeg fam
days ago because Of his selection a.
Minister Of the Interior in the M;ue-
rand Cabinet, and which resulted IN
three hundred Deputies in the French
Chamber standing mute and refusino
to vote in tha support OF the ministry
is q new star in the political armament
Of France He is modern Junius-
Like Clem enceau, who az journaliss
bitterly attacked every body and everv-
thing, Daudet has risen to political
power BY attacking a powerful govern
mcnt clique in France.
With the celebrated Charles Naurras.
who wields gentier and more polished
pen, he is one Of the directeurs poll
tiques of "L'Action Frsncaise,"
Partisan daily paper which during the
war rose from circulation Of 10000 70
200 900. Daudet's bludgeon hits rich.
and left. His knowledge of French
politics is astonishing.
Daudet is the son Of Alphonsa Dau-
det, the great French hum.orist and
novelist His uncle was distinguished
as an historian. Thus, in way, he IN
herits his pen. 1t is due TO him. moro
perhaps than any other one man. tha.
the Cailaux- Malvy conspiracy was dis
covered Clemenceau at first refused
to believe He WAS not at the time on
friendly terms with Daudet, who had
hammered Clemenceau for his failure
to vote preparatory war expenses, but
both men are intensely patriotic, and
Clemenceau, finally convinced by TSau
det's proofs, rose in the Senate and do
nounced Malvy, Minister OF the In
terror at the time, as traitor 10 his
country That was the beginning Of
new day for France. A delay OF thirty
days would have made differen. his
tory. It would then have been too lats
to expose the conspiracy, and very
likely Foch's appointment to the
supreme command would not have
been possible.
1t was Daudet VINO, two years be-
fore the war, published his book
"L'Avant- Guerre." in which he out
lined the preparations of Germany for
war against France, showing with
wealth of Recommendation and fact the
insidious sapping and mining tha.
were going on in every quarter, politi-
cal, economic, educational and mill
tary. Daudet's expose WAS met with
derisive laughter. They dismissed him
with shrug. He had the spy bug"
they said. The French did not even
seriously consider his evidence Bu.
Daudet was not easily discouraged.
After the war began he kept hammer
ing away in "L'Action Francaise."
Now he has been elected to the
Chamber from Paris, and his maiden
speech was biting arraignment OF
Steeg, who was at one time Minister
Of Public instruction and whose selec-
ton for that Office was believed BY
many in France to have been part Of
Germany's comprehensive scheme for
undermining the ideals Of France.
Steeg is Of German ancestry.
Here is sample Of Daudet's Junius
like invective, lifted from one Of his
editorials in "L'Action Francaise" since
his election as a Deputy. After de-
scribing the efforts of the then govern
ment Of France to prevent his ex-
posure Of the "gangsters" who we're
betraying France in the early part Of
the war and the suppression OF "L'Ac-
ton Francaise" for two weeks, Daudet
continues:
To-day it is finished with laugh.
and they can believe me when affirm
that the dirty linen OF the ministerial
gang from August, 1914, to November.
1917, will be completely washed. here
and elsewhere, in public. France will
know her exploiters and the exploiters
of her hard, bloody, sublime, victori-
GUS effort, in spite Of ALL"
Evidently Daudet intends to keep his
word. he is an evangel of the new--or
rather the old-spirit of France.
c. P. CONNOLLY.
East Orange, N. j., Jan. 80, 1920.