New-York tribune., 1922-07-06
Viyiani Gains
Wild Ovation
For Poincare
Stampedes Deputies When
He Takes Responsibility,
Declaring He Was in Com
-plete Accord With Chief
Praises Premier S Wisdom
Communist Attack, Based ON
Picture i'm Which Herrick
Is Figure, Overwhelmed

PARIS, July (By The Associated
Press).-Rene Viviani stampeded the
Chamber of Deputies into a wild out
burst of approval of Premier Poincare
to-day during the course of a debate on
"the responsibility for the war" This
was the elimination of the long threat
ened attack on the Premier precipi-
tated by yesterdays scene between
Poincare and Deputy Valiant Cou-
turier. when the Communist made ref
erence to a photograph showing the
Premier and the American Ambassador,
Myron T. Herrick, apparently smiling
while passing through the verdun
cemetery.
Niviani interrupted a long and dreary
reading of newspaper clippings and
diplomatic messages by the Communist
designed to show that Poincare was re-
sponsible for the war, and exclaimed:
IF any one is responsible for the
war it was /. / was head of the gov
ernment; l took whatever action was
taken, and | acted in perfect accord
with Poincare (then President). I was
in touch with him and in agreement
with him when he was a.. St. Peters
burg"
Visit to Car Recalled
This was reference to Poincare's
visit as President to the Emperor
Nicholas.
The deputies jumped to their feet,
waving their arms wildly, and Poincare
rushed to Viviani and kissed him on
both cheeks. Others embraced the Pre-
mier and the eX-Premier and for sew
eral minutes there was an excess of
enthusiasm.
The debate had begun in general
apathy, the Deputies paying slight at
tention to Valiant Couturier's speech,
which he read and in which he had
embodied many kilograms from the
Russian Ambassador, M. Isvolsky, to
the Russian capital, showing that
Poincare and France were ready to
join Russia in war.
The Premier interrupted several
times to remind the Chamber that
some of these previously had been
published. The personal views of
Isvolsky, he pointed out, had been de-
MED officially.
When he could make his voice heard
above the uproar Viviani pleaded with
the Deputy to abandon his interpella-
tion, as it was Of no use to continue,
and asked him to return to "the sacred
union" observed during the war, when
all parties buried the political hatchet
His eloquence so moved the Deputies
that they stood in silence as a mark
of admiration.
Viviani Takes Responsibility
The ex-Premier told briefly of the
big steps in Frances foreign policy
when he was Premier under Poincare,
and recited again the history of the
movements that led to the war, claim
ing for himself full responsibility for
everything that was done and praising
the wisdom of Poincare He ended
with an appeal to the patriotism of the
members, in memory of the hundreds
of thousands who had fallen, for a
cessation of the strife.
The scene thus created interrupted
the debate for so long time that the
Chamber adjourned. until tomorrow
afternoon, the Premier insisting upon
full airing of the matter.
1t was the Premiers second victory
of the day over the Communists, as the
Chamber earlier in the day voted conf
dence in the government, 507 to 64, on
a minor Interpolation relative to the
suppression of Communist activities at
Tuns
HerrIck DouDts photograph
Ambassador Herrick issued state
ment to-day characterizing as much
ado about nothing" the Smiling photo
graph" incident.
81 have no recollection whatsoever
of the matter in question:" Mr.. Her
rick's statement said. even suppos-
ing that in walking from point to point
during the day | should have said
something to cause Premier Poincare
to smile, there could be in that no
possible ground for reproach''
The photograph has been repeatedly
published in ."L'Humanite," and many
thousands of postcards bearing the
same picture have been sold as Com
munist propaganda. The scene appar-
entity showing the French Premier and
Mr. Herrick smiling while walking
through the cemetery also has been
used in motion pictures Of current
events.