Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-28
N. DESCHANEL DEAD
ONCE HEAD OF FRANCE
Former President Defe ated
Clemenceau. War Premier;
Hurt in Accident.
by Associated Press to Every Evening.

BY Associated Press to Every Evening
Paris. April 2s--Paul Deschanel.
former president OF France. died this
afternoon.
NJ. Deschanel was taken III with In
tluenza a few days ago. and on Wed
nesday IL was announced that. COM
pliCations had developed and his con
dition was serious.
Paul Eugene Louis Deschanel.
tenth President OF France. entered
upon a seven-year term i'm that office
on February is, 1920. after having
been chosen by the National Assem-
bly, the preceding January by the
biggest majority since the election OF
THEIRS. the FIRST President OF the pres
ent republic. Statesman and author,
speakers in France. Nj. DesohaneI's
political triumph marked tho retire
ment from public life OF former Prem
Ter Georges Clemonceau.
The campaign had been most SEN
sational and bitter. NJ. ClemenCeau
then at the height OF his power as the
French war premier. and one of the
negotiators OF the treaty with Ger
many. was. up uutil few days before
the election. believed 20 be the only
candidate who had chance 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 few months later. when
Deschanel had been forced by Illness
to resign, The Tiger" was asked II no
again would permit his name TO be
used as a candidate for the Presidency.
Il was too old To be elected last
January" he replied ironically, "and
feel too young TO accept now. in
case | was chosen. l am going into
india's 1ungles TO hunt tigers, which
Is much less dangerous than French
politics"
On May "a. 1920. few months af-
ter taking up his residence at the
Elysee Palace as the successor OF
Poincare. President Deschanel when
on his way at night from Paris to
Montbrison 10 dedicate n monument
fell from a moving train while at
tempting to raise a window in his
sleeping compartment. lie was sup
posed to have been only slightly in
jured. Thereafter, however, the press
of France expressed almost daily
solicitude for his health. After pass
ing weeks of convalescence in Nor
mandy, he returned to Paris in June
to preside at the Council of Ministers
Later il was announced that he had
suffered a complete breakdown and
that his resignation was inevitable
The following September, the Presi-
dent sent a letter of resignation 10
Premier Millerand together with a
message 10 the Senate and Chamber
of Deputies which were soon followed
by the election of his successor.
For nearly 45 years NJ. Deschanel
had been in French public life. He
was president OF the Chamber OF Dep
uties when elected TO the highest post
as First Citizen OF France. Previously
he had been head OF the French Par
liamentary Commission on Foreign
and Colonial Affairs. In a speech al
Paris the first year of the war he de-
clared there could he mo neutrals
when civilization itself is at stake
Among his first acts upon assuming
the Presidency were his signing of a
decree naming commissioners To study
French living costs and another bar
ring alcoholic drinks from Elysee Pal
ace
NJ. Deschanel was born in 1857 IN
Brussels, to which city his father
went after being exiled from France
in 1851 for having published a pamph-
let entitled Catholicism and Social
ism" When he was two years Old the
boy returned to France with his father
who was pardoned by an act Of am
nesty. following a recantation OF his
views