Imperial Valley press., 1929-11-23
Rance
WAITING
THE END
CIemenceau Stubbornly
Fighting Against The
Inevitable.
STILL CO NSCIOUS
Final NGnaents of The
Tiger Fined With Suf-
fering.
BY RALPH HEINZEN
United Press Staff Correspondent

fAhlS, NOV, 23. NU.Hl-l ne 1ath't
Of victory lay dying today while
France waited sorrowfully for the
inevitable end of its great war
leader.
Georges Clemcnceau, his life near.
" spent, was in an unbroken stupor,
uremic poisoning slowly spreading
through his system. His family was
at the bedside. but the old states
man and warrior rarely opened his
eyes and scarcely moved even the
gray-gloved hands laying on the
covers.
A final tiibute to the wartime
premier was inspired by Grattien
Candacc, deputy from Guadcloupe
Since any of the country's high hon
ors seemed inadequate, Candace
asked the government to perform
final act which appeared fitting
10 award Clemenceau the military
medal. which ordinarily is granted
only TO privatcs and non-commis-
stoned Officers as a supreme deeora-
tion for valor on the battlefield.
Clemcneeau always regarded him
self as II civilian soldier of France,
md among his last requests was the
irsistent one that no. state funeral
bc accorded.
TIL. Clemenceau family sent
Deputy Georges Mandel to ask Pre-
nicr Andre Tardieu that an excep-
(tion be made by the government in
\ Sacrificing its right to seal the fur
niturc and the house Of its former
chief of state upon his death, as
would ordinarily be the custom.
The request was due to the
family's desire to remove the body
at once to Ncndec, the ancestral
LONE, for immediate burial in ac-
cordancc with Clemenccau's wishes.
In that peaceful countryside, with
cut the pomp of state funeral in
Paris, his body will be placed up
right in an open and waiting grave
Lcside those of his father and
mother 1t was evident that there
were no papers still in Clemenceau's
possession vital to the state.
Gen. Henri Gouraud, the one
armed war hero who in the past has
been among those to feel the sting
of The Tigers wrath and scorn, pro
posed that the chief decoration of
the caskct be an empty artillery
shell and Il faded bunch of wild
flowers which were among Clemcn-
,cau's most cherished possessions,
and were presented to him by Il hum
BILE soldier in the trenches during
one of his visits to the front.
Tiger Is Atheist
Clemenceau was dying without
the last consolation of the church,
which he long ago forsook. .Thc
Tiger was II tolerant but cynical
atheist, refusing to believe, yet
numbering certain members of the
clergy as among his closest friends.
Despite his attitude, Monsignor
De Lavallette, his lifelong literary
friend, gave last bcncdiction,
through door held slightly open
while the dying man slept.
Clcmcnceau's doctors hao consid-
cred this morning the possibility of
an incision of the kidneys, with one
chance in a thousand of prolonging
the patients life, but decided that
the heart would be unable to stand
the strain or the shock of an anaes--
thetic.
The faithful Catholic nun, Sister
Tbeoneste, after a night Of prayer
at the bedside of the sick man, left
The Tigers bedroom at $3.50 a. m.
today. Her eyes were filled With
tears.
"It's the end. It's only question
Of hours" Sister Theonestea : said.
"Ie is suffering terribly. Unfor.
tunately, he is fully conscious. Few
men have suffered 20 die as he"
Drs. Lucien Dcgennes, Charles
Laubry and Gosset held Il consulta-
tion after visit to the sickroom
where they passed unrecognized by
Clemenceau. They decided to con
tinue their efforts to prolong his
1 life by continuing to administer NOR
pbine.
"Death can be expected momen.
tarily," DR.. Laubry said @sif