The New York herald., 1920-01-17

| PARIS, Friday (by the Associated Press).
Premier Georges Clemenceau went down
! to defeat at the hands of his countrymen n
today In a caucus Of the Senate and
Chamber Of Deputies 10 choose a candi-
date for the Presidency OF the republic.
| Premier Clemenceau tonight sent a let
ter to Leon Bourgeois. formally with
drawing from the contest for the Presi-
dency The letter says
IT take the liberty of informing you that
1 withdraw from my friends authority
to offer my candidacy for the Presidency
of the republic. and that If they disregard
my withdrawal and obtain for me ma
jority of votes I will refuse the mandate
so conferred"
Replying to a group OF Ministers who
brought the resolution of the caucus vote
to Mr.. tlemenceau, but asked him to re-
main a candidate for the presidency, the
Premier said
MY resolution is definitely made and
nothing can change it. ] declared from
the first that did not wish to be can
didate, but could not resist the pressure
of my friends. Besides, ! dreamed that
IL elected / would he a link between the
government of yesterday and that OF to-
morrow, and for that task general con-
sent is necessary.
II submitted to Mr. Milerand (Alexan-
Dire Millerand, former Cabinet member.
prominently mentioned as successor TO
Premier Clemenceau) the names OF three
of you--you will permit me not 70 say
which three. II was understood that II
was not a question OF imposing a choice
on him. In fact | warned him that | did
not wish to know his opinion on those
three names. leaving him entirely free.
Now, my role is finished"
DeschnneI Leads Victory.
Senators and Deputies after the caucus
lin which Paul Deschanel. President OF
the Chamber. led the Premier by nineteen
votes, generally expressed the opinion
that the vote means the elimination from
public life of the Father of Victory"
Premier Clemenceau being neither Sem
iator nor a Deputy.
Mr.. Clemenceaus friends are already
searching for another candidate, as Pres
Iident Poincare is reported to have re-
fused to accede TO the demand of a depu-
Itation of Senators and Deputies that he
be n candidate for reelection. He is said
to have renewed emphatically the ex-
preston of his determination not to be a
candidate
Never before in the history of Presi-
Dental elections in France has a plenary
caucus been attended by such a large
number of Deputies and Senator'S. s21 out
of s24 being present. Heretofore II has
been the custom TO call a caucus only Of
the parties Of the Left, but today Mr..
Deschanel stands as the chosen candidate
both of the Chamber and Senate-all the
parties.
Neither Premier Clemenceau nor Mr.
Deschanel were present at the caucus, but
former Premier BRAND. Andre Lefevre
and Edouard Herriot, the latter the new
president OF the Radical party, were con-
spicuous marshaling the Deschanel
forces. while Georges Mandel formerly
Premier Clemenceaus confidential secre-
tary. and Edouard Ignace were canvass
ing on behalf OF Mr.. Clemonceau.
Crowd Pours In to Vote.
The voting commenced sluggishly at
two o'clock. but at three o'clock an ava
lanche of Senators and Deputies descended
upon the voting place and tho polling be-
came brisk and excited. Those presiding
at the voting table were fairly swamped
by the venerable Senators and young
Deputies anxious to- cast their votes be-
fore the polling closed at four o'clock. a
few bets we're recorded. with Mr.. Clemen-
ceau the pronounced favorite.
There were naturally two views OF the
defeat of the Premier who for more than
two years by his forccful personality and
courage, ruled both houses of the Parlia-
IContinued on psre Two. Col. ThreeD