Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-14
M. BRAND in Eclipse.

Defeated for the thirteenth presidency
Of France on the thirteenth Of the
month, Aristide BRAND today may think
there IS something. after ALL in the
superstition attaching to bakers
dozen. His failure to achieve the
presidency of France yesterday at the
Palace Of Versailles, following his
overwhelming vote of confidence in
the Chamber only a few hours before,
must have taken the twelve-times
premier by surprise, as 1t appears to
have bewildered the Partisan political
prophets. M. BRAND hardly survived
the first ballot His successful rival
Paul Doumer, President Of the Senate,
failed by only a few votes to obtain the
necessary majority on the opening
count. Doumer's victory and Brands
defeat thenceforward were a foregone
conclusion.
Perhaps the seasoned foreign minister
will find consolation for the loss of
the presidency In the fact that the
world would, rejoice to see him remain
at the Quai d 'Orsay. To be the head
of the French republic would have
crowned M. Brands long and bril-
liant career, but. to a considerable
extent, the presidency would also have
ended it. In the Elysee Palace, the
Paris White House, the Chief Executive
occupies an honorable, but at best a
decorative, post. At the foreign ONCE,
where he has presided for seven sue
cessive years, proving permanent and
indispensable amid recurring changes
of ministers, Aristide BRAND Is i'm
mensely more valuable to France and
to Europe than he could ever be as
President of the republic. An Old
World, still subjected to the psychology
of war, can i'll afford to spare
Stresemann and a BRAND within brief
span
1t does not appear to be certain that
BRAND. under all the circumstances,
will consent. If asked, to remain as
foreign minister under Premier Laval,
provided the latter retains ONCE un-
der the Doumer presidency. BRAND
N&o bAOuSht W WIN IA lkAC DAlCA Udt~
loting at Versailles ON Wednesday
through the refusal of the Nationalist
to support his candidacy. His peace
policies have never been to their Xix
ing. They have resented his ccncilia-
tory attitude toward Germany, the ira
ditionally mistrusted, and their wrath
was famed into fury by Brands
failure to nip the German Austrian
customs unicn in the bud. Having
thwarted his presidential ambitions,
Frances saber-rattling politicians may
make it impossible for him to continue
at his present post.
M. BRAND Is due in Geneva this
week to discuss q variety Of pending
European questions, especially his own
schemes for Continental federation on
tariff and kindred lines. His silver
tongue has spellbound him out Of
many a tight hole in the French
Chamber, at the League and in inter-
national conferences Perhaps the old
fox will elude misfortune after all and
return to Paris, not as chief oficer of
the state. but with fresh laurels In the
field of international diplomacy.
Brands complete disappearance
from French public life would be a
loss TO the whole world. Europe could
hardly fail to interpret it as setback
to the peace movement, tenuous IS it
Is and needing more bitterly than ever
. restraining hand like that Of the
co-author OF the General Pact for the
Remuneration of War.