Evening star., 1946-01-25
Gouin Was Deputy for Is Years
Without Attracting Attention
New French President
First Won Fame for
Opposing Petoin
BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD.

A blunt, plain-spoken man who
had served in the French Cham
ber of Deputies for 16 years before
the war without attracting much
attention-Felix Gouin-today is
the provisional President Of France.
How long he will remain in that
post is an "x-quantity," according
to diplomatic circles here, in view
of the chaotic political situation in
France. But as of yesterday he has
stepped into the shoes of Gen.
Charles de Gaulle, who vacated the
presidency because the Assembly
would not support his plans for ma
tional defense.
The quiet, Socialist deputy from
the small town of IStreS in the
south of France, made his first bid
for international fame in 1910 when
he was one of small group in the
French Parliament who refused to
support the capitulation of Marshal
Henri Philippe Petain to the Nazis.
His later presidency of the French
Consultative Assembly, organized in
Algiers in September, 1943, paved
his way to the eventual presidency
of the National Assembly and to his
post as chief of France today.
Background Lacking.
But there was nothing in the
early or middle -aged career of Mr..
Gouin to suggest his present emf
nence. 1t is interesting to note that
the French Embassy, when ques-
toned yesterday, had no biographi-
cal material on the new provisional
president. Nor did newspaper IL
braries.
Yet he holds, at least temporarily
IN his hands the key political power
of France on fateful day when
not only the future status of the
French Republic is being deter
mined, but also, because of its key
position. the future of Western Eu-
rope in the obvious struggle between
Left and Right
Mr.. Gouin was born on October
4, 1884-he is now 61-in the south
OF France, was educated at the Uni
yersity of Aix-Marseilles and became
a lawyer by profession. At the age
OF 18 he joined the Socialist party.
Like all patriotic Frenchmen, he
answered the call of the colors in
1914 and fought for four years on
the Western Front against Ger
many. There is nothing noteworthy
in his military career. So far as
records here show, he served out
the war as private.
Entered Politics in 1924.
Mr.. Gouin first entered national
French politics in 1924 as a deputy
from Istres. According to Ameri-
can newspapermen who were cor
responding in Paris during the pc
riod of Mr.. Gouin's service in the
Chamber of Deputies, he sat quietly.
voting with the Socialist Party as
a "wheel-horse," but never intro
duced bills and had very little to
say.
These correspondents describe the
new French President as quiet, be-
spectacled, modest, shrewd and
straightforward in manner.
One outstanding quality Mr..
Gouin retained from his years as
a soldier--a burning hatred of the
Germans. AS noted, he refused to
vote for the Petain armistice. He
exposed himself to German venge-
ance even further in 1941 by con-
ducting the defense at the Riom
trial of Leon Blum, former premier
of France.
Was Sent to London.
In August of 1912, during the Pc
riod OF German occupation of
France, Mr.. Gouin was sent by the
Socialist Party to London to repre-
sent 1t at the headquarters of Gen.
de Gaulle's Free French Commit
tee. After several months imprison-
ment in Spain, he reached the
British capital, but never allied him.
self completely with the De Gaulle
movement. In fact, he organized
within the Free French Committee