Evening star., 1934-10-26

Courage and patriotism are the two
qualities most frequently mentioned in
American comment on the death of
Raymond Poincare. Honored for his
wartime leadership. it is nevertheless
generally recognized that his greatest
triumph, that of stabilizing the franc,
and perhaps his greatest mistake,
when he ordered French troops into
the Ruhr, both occurred while his
country was at peace.
IN all the land where ia gloire' is
the ultimate value, there was no man
with more abiding love of France or
profounder patriotism than Raymond
Poincare," says the Providence Eve
ming Bulletin. He had, as the French
Parliament declared in 1920. deserved
we'll of the fatherland.' The Birming-
ham News characterizes him as the
most useful and valuable citizen Of
France in his time" while the Spring.
field (Mass.) Republican goes even
further and calls M. Poincare "the
strongest figure among all the PreSi-
dents that France has had under the
third republic" To the Knoxville
Journal he is "a memorable figure of
a tremendously tragic epoch" and the
Syracuse Herald considers that his
career has been rarely matched"
He was bitterly attacked again and
again, but France knew that, in him,
she had real man, and in every great
crisis of the past several decades
France called upon him. where other
ministers had failed and he succeed
ed" says the New Haven Journal
Courier. The indianapolis Star re-
marks that "Poincare made many
political enemies, but he won the re-
spect Of all" The New York Times
observes that while he did not always
emerge from his tests unscatched, mo
one ever questioned his sincere pa
triotism or his unimpeached honesty"
while the Philadelphia Evening Bull
letin declares that his patriotism was
unhesitatingly recognized in the enemy
camp"
The death Of Poincare removes the
sort Of man France needs bitterly at
this hour" states the Birmingham
Age-Herald. Not that Poincare was
all that a great statesman should be,
not that he failed to commit some
serious sins But he had a strength
OF will, resolution of character, which
France misses in its present govern
ment." AS evidence Of his courage
the Lancaster (Pa.) New Era calls at
tention to the fact that "he never
hesitated to take the unpopular course
when he conceived it was his duty to
his country and himself"
ut was during the postwar re-
habilitation of Europe that Poincare
played his greatest roles" believes the
Asbury Park Evening Press. To the
Roanoke Times this was probably
his greatest service to France" while
the Richmond News Leader is of the
opinion that 'the history of modern
public finance offers no more brilliant
chapter than that which records how.
In three months. he more than doubl-
ed the value Of the france on the ex-
changes OF the world" TIE Ann
Arbor Daily News also takes the posi-
ton that 'it was his courage and in
genuity during the financial crisis that
contributed the most to Poincare's
greatness"
"The fires Of controversy will long
rage with respect to some of the poll
cies identified with M. Poincare," says
the Buffalo Evening News. In this
connection the Kansas City Star de-
clares: "Poincare with encyclopedia
information and q legaliStic mind.
was the uncompromising foe of neces-
sary adjustments that might have
converted the treaty of Versailles into
q real instrument of peace" To the
Rochester Times Union, he was too
'nationalistic" and. the Columbia
Is. CO. Record believes that h
lacked breadth Of vision" The Mil
waukee journal asserts: 'It was logical
to invade the Ruhr; 1t was the kind
Of thing Germany had done In oc-
cupying France after the Franco
Prussian War; 1t was In the treaty.