Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-04-28

,trmrr president of France. died here
| tliiS afternoon.
Paul Eugene Louis ncschanel, tenth
4 President of France. entered upon "A sew
en-year term in that office on February
| Is, 1920, after having been chosen by the
National Assembly the preceding Jan
uary by the biggest majority since the
election of Thicrs, the first president
OF the present republic. Statesman and
author and one Of the most brilliant
public speakers in France, NJ. Desehanel's
political triumph marked the retirement
from public life Of former Premier
Georges ClemeEceau.
The campaign had been most sensa-
tional and bitter. VI. Clemenccau, then
at the height Of his power as the French
/, war premier and one of the negotiators
of the treaty with Germany, was, up un-
Ill a few days before the election, be-
lieved 10 be the only candidate VINO had
a chaace for the office. Catholic and
Socialist votes in the French Parliament,
! However, combined with those Of the
/ political enemies OF the Tiger" and
elected Deschanel A few months later,
when Deschanel had been forced by i'll
ness 70 resign, The Tiger" was asked
if he again would permit MS name to be
used as a candidate for the presidency.
| /" was too Old ~ be elected last Jan
uary," he replied ironically. ~and / feel
too young 70 accept now. in case was
chosen. / am going into India's junEles
to hunt tigers, which is much less dan
gcrOus than French notifies
On May 24, 1929, few months after
taking up his residence at the Elysce
Palace as the successor Of Poincare,
President Dcschanel when on his way at
night from Paris 10 Monibrison to dedi-
cate a monument, fell from a moving
train while attempting to raise window
! in his sleeping compartment. He was
supposed TO have been only slightly in-
jured. Thereafter, however. the press
of France expressed almost daily sol
citudc for his health. After passing
weeks OF convalcscence in Normandy. he
returned To Paris in june 70 preside at
the Council Of Ministers. Later it was
announced that he had suffered a com
plcto breakdown and that his resignation
was inevitable. The following Septem-
Lcr the president sent letter Of resig
nation to Premier MilIcrand together
with a message 10 the Senate and Cham
er Of Deputies which were soon followed
by the election of his successor.
For nearly fj years NJ Deschancl had
been in. French public life. He was Pres
idcnt of the Chamber Of Deputies when
elected 10 the highest post az First Git
zen Of France. Previously he had been
head cr the French Parliamentary Com
mission on Foreign and Colonial Affairs.
In speech AZ Paris the first year Of the
war he declared there could ~ mo neut-
rails when civilization itself is az stake"
Among his first acts upon assuming the
presidency were his signing Of decree
raining commissioners TO study French
living costs and another barring aIco-
holic drinks from Elysee Palace.
NJ. Dcschancl was born i'll 1857 in
Brussels to which city his father went
after being exiled from France in 1851
for having published pamphlet en-
titled Catholicism and Socialism"
When TX was two years old. the boy re-
turned 10 France with his father, who
was pardoncd by an act Of amnesty, fol-
lowing a rccantation OF his views.
The young man was educated in Paris
and when only twenty years old ne en-
tered the public service, becoming sec
retary To n. de Marcerc. then Minister
Of the Interior. He heame secretary to
Jules Simon. President Of the Council,
the following year and served until 1885
when he was elected member of the
Chamber of Deputies from the Depart
mcnt of Eure-ct-Loirc. In 1896 he was
aamed vice-president Of that body ana
two years later was elected president,
position he held until 1902 when he was
defeated for reelection.
N. Deschanel was later appointed pres
idcnt Of the Parliamentary Commission
on Foreign Affairs and Colonies. his
work in that body continuing until 1909.
in April. 1910, NJ. Dcschanel returned to
the Chamber. becoming its president in
1912. He remained in the chair con
tinuously until his election TO the pres
idcncy. In 1913 he was urged to be-
come a candidate for president against
Raymond Poincare. but pollcd only Is
votes AZ the election. In the midst Of
mis- political and public labors, VI. Dcseh-
anel found time TO write a number of
works on political and social problems.
| Madame Dcschanel was formerly Mile.
Germanc Rricc. daughter Of Rene Brice.
member Of the Chamber of DEPUTIES for