New Britain herald., 1920-02-06
CLEMENCEAU FULL
 OF VIGOR AT 80
Frances Grand Old Man Has
 Great Record

1 France, rctireS at so years. of ace l rom tn" service of the republic he
 has served for more than two sener- ! atlons. He is credited with contribut- l ing as much perhaps. more than any | other statesman to bringing about l the downfall of Germany by filling 1 F'rance-discoura and war-torn- 1 with the invincible spirit of the con l queror.
 i After lifetime of vicissitudes. he 1 recently declared II am younger l now than I was ten years ago." He
 said this even while carrying in his l body the bullet of an assassin x and 1 while suffering from broken rib re- l ccntlN sustained while crcssine the 1 English Channel.
 Explaining his remark ne declared: :: | "Idlencss and old age are twin sis ! ters. I avoid them. The way to keep young and vigorous is never to let 1 your mind STOW inactive and 10 work work, work. Preserve strength of mind and you vanquish age: that is ! the secret of perpetual youth" 1 T believe it is weak-minded to grow old" he told certain members of his suite after his famous anti-B Bol- 1 sheViki speech in Strasbourg last No- vcmber. The Premier's day had heen hard one. with many receptions journeys and discussions of serious diplomatic questions but he appeared at dinner that night fresher than ; many of his young collea gues.
 It was some time before this, while
 he was on one of his customary iaunts
 into the country, when he walked 10
 or , miles without showing very
 great fatigue, that he discovered his
 now famous retreat, d two roomed
 hshermanS hut close to the seashore
 near LucOn, in Nendee. Here is where
 he IS expected to pass a fortnight or
 more. Bare of comforts and conven-
 fences it is just the kind Of shelter
 the once-known Tiger of France s would seek for a Uell-earned rest. Ii
 is only shoFt distance from the for
 mer PrelGier's birthplace and stands
 almost alone on the barren sands.
 Often he walks to the village where
 he converSes with the old town folk,
 a few of whom knew him {. 6, boy.
 Clemenceau's rigorous life was con-
 tinEed even after he accepted Presi-
 dent POincare'S invitation to form war ministry in 1917 when for the second time he became Premier of
 France. In civil life he arose with the birds and retired often at sunset. \ glass of milk and few crackers
 was his usual repast at A. NJ. in summer and 4:30 o'clock in Winter.
 An hour or two later he sat down 10 hearty brea kfast. the main portion
 of which Was generally a dish or mac aroni and cheese with melted butter. About 12:30 D. m. he indulged In lun- cheon. simple meal of couple of eggs perhaps, and a few vegeta bles. Dinner at D. m., was pra cticaliy meatless. consisting largely of Vege- tables and fruits. He eats very slow lv.
 During the war, the pressure of af- fairs of state often forced him to all ter his sleeping habit and there were occa sions when, for two and three days a { a time, the aged premier and Minister of war never removed his clothing but caught mere spa tches of rest of few minutes duration on a lounge in his office. In peace-t time. however. Glenn has a less stren- uous program. In Summer, as soon as he arises he takes to his garden in , the rear of his town apartment. in specting the flower beds and the shrubbery and trees, pruning off dead l branch as and pulling weeds. He thus |, finds rest from the turmoil of poli- l ties and the cares of office.
 Ciemenceau, il is not generally ] known. was formerly a physician. He CdtllS lO NGN ol h III cpD phA dpcIi- { doned the pra ctice of medicine to teach school at Stamford. Conn. He l married an American girl in 1869. 1 Miss Mary Hummer of New York. l and returned to France few years later.
 He entered the French National Assembly in 1871, became president Of the municipal council of ris in ! 1875 and was elected to the Chambe Of Deputies in 1876. In 1887 he de- 1 rined an invitation of the President i of France to form a ministry. Tn the { general wreck of French politicians | "a used by the Panama, scandal of 1892 he failed of reelection to the chamber but in 1902 was sent to the senate. Meanwhile he had fought 1 six or seven dUeis and had won 1 anne as a vitriolic writer. From
 9o6 to 1909 he.was premier. He was an anti-clerical and fought for the ie paration Of church and state. He cd several political fights which re- suited in the downfall of as many 
 In 1914, at the beginning of the ! var. he established in Paris LHomme 4hre, d pa per so bitterly anti-admin- stration that it was suppressed soon fter it reappeared in Bordeaux un- er the name of IHomme Enchaine. 'lcmcnceilu refused to be silenced in I xpoSing government ahuses growing ut of the war. When the i3olO Pasha nd CailIauN reVelat tions ava kened rance to ner peril revela ticns large !, brought about by Clemenceau, the : TIger's' popularity became nation . 7ide. President Poincare called upon r he veteran statesman in November, , when France tieprpSSpG |