The New York herald., 1920-01-15
PAUL DEsCHANEL
OUT FOR PRESIDENT.
AGAINST THE,T|GER
Presiding Officer Of Chamber
of Deputies Agrees to Accept
Caucus Nomination. f.

PARIS. Wednesday. - Paul Deschanel
was suddenly thrust forward as cand.-
date for the Presidency OF the republic
In the Chamber Of Deputies last night.
seemingly by spontaneous impulse on the
part OF the members Of the Radical So
cialist groups. The candidacy Of Mr..
Deschanel promises to enliyen the con
gress of Versailles which will meet on
Saturday TO elect President and the ex-
pected walkover for Premier Clemenceau,
winch was regarded by every one as a
toregone conclusion. may not materialize
Immediately after Mr.. Deschanel was
reelected President of the Chamber by
$40 votes out of the 455 ballots cast, some
loo 10 200 Deputies. led by former Premier
BRAND. Edouard Harriet, Camille Lenoir
ana Andre Lefevre, shouted :--"Now 10
Versailles' These and others crowded
around Mr.. Deschanel. urging him 20
stand as candidate. After conference
last night with his friends, Mr. -Deschanel
SAID he would accept the candidacy il
designated by the caucus of Republican
and socialist groups OF both, Houses,
which is called for Thursday. The Left
groups of the Chamber will meet in pen-
ary session tomorrow, will formally choose
Mr.. Deschanel as their. candidate and
inform him of their choice the same
evening.
TO Force CIemenceau'S Hand.
Mr.. Deschanels acceptance is expected
to force Premier Clemenceau. to announce
whether or not he is a candidate. owing
to the precedent created by. Mr.. Clemen-
ceau himself in 1912. when he called upon
Mr.. Poincar6 and informed, him that Jules
Pans had been chosen as candidate by
the Republicans.
"1nasmuch as you arc also candidate"
tf. a
tell US Of whom you are the candidate"
The feeling is freely expressed among
the supporters of Mr.. Deschanel that
Premier ClGmenceau cannot await Sim
liar call from the delegates of the Radicals
and Socialists tomorrow.
The significance of the movement in
favor of Mr.. Deschanel for President lies
in the names of men behind him. Mr..
BRAND, although for the moment some
what effaced, is still regarded as exer-
cising great influence, not only on the old
party Republican Socialists but on all
the Republican groups. Mr.. Herriot Is
the new president of the radical party and
is Mayor Of Lyons. Mr.. Lefevre is vice
president Of the Chamber and is one of the
leading authorities OF Parliament ION III
nancial questions.
Has Socialist Support.
The Socialist party, as indicated this
morning by a leading article in Humanite,
the Socialist organ, will vote solidly for
Mr.. Deschanel. The radicals under the
leadership of Mr.. Herriot are expected to
bring him substantial support and the Re-
publican Socialists also will support him.
These, it Is pointed out. are the weakest
groups in the new Chamber, but IL was re-
marked today that in an impromptu eau
Gus held in the lobbies after yesterdays
lmanifestion there were number OF Pro-
IgressiveS. ' "n
| The candidacy OF Mr.. Deschanel has
brought out other aspirants for the Presi-
dency in Leon. Bourgeois and Rene Viviani,
both former Premiers. and Jules Pans,
the present Minister Of the Interior.
Leon Bourgeois was elected President
of the Senate by that body on the third
ballot taken today for the choice of a
presiding officer. He received 1f7 votes.
as against 125 for Antonin Dubost, the
retiring President of the Senate. Justin de
Selves, former Foreign Minister. who re-
lceived II votes on the first ballot and so
on the second, withdrew from the race
after the second ballot ~
Mr. Bourgeois, who recently was Sc
II lected to preside over the first session OF
the Executive Council of the League OF
Nations, to be held on Friday, told the
lSenate when he was installed as President
| this evening that he had not sought the
honor. but that he knew why it had come
| TO him.
81 know il was not because OF my per
sonalty," he said, but because ] am
Frances representative in the League OF
/ Nations"