12
THE HONGKONG
The Man
Man They
C
AMILLE
CHAUTEMPS was born in the heart of Parls 61 years ago, the son of a poor people's doctor who always forgot to ask for his fees when he saw that the linen was torn and that there was no meat in the pot on the fire.
Dr. Emile Chautemps, who was ⚫so, forgiving to the poor, became very popular among his fellow- citizens.
I
They sent him frat to the Town Ifall, then to the Palais-Bourbon, the Houses of Parliament.
a
f
When he was later defeated he was already famous in French He was given a safe seat politics, in Savoy, the province in which the Chautemps family originated.
Senator and He became Minister of Colonies.
He did not grow rich for three reasons, because he forgot his fees when the patients were poor, be- cause he resisted the temptation of becoming wealthy through poll- tics; and because he had five sons,
☆☆☆
Camille, the new Premier, is now the most famous of the five. But before his name was ever heard of in France is elder brother Felix was suddenly placed In the lime- Hght of French politles through a dramatic incident in the Chamber of Deputies which I witnessed by Press gallery chance from the exactly 24 years ago.
Tsarist Under
from pressure Russia, the Government of M. Barthou had decided in 1913 to raise the period of military service from two to three years.
The whole country was roused The Socialista, by this demand. led by Jean Jaures, and the Rudi- cals, led by M. Caillaux, decided to fight the Bill.
On the first day of the debate a tall. im man in the thirties Jaunched the attack. It was Felix for meinber the Chautemps, Albertville, in Savoy.
was noted. His family name but it was his first big speech. The young man criticise the B with the skill of a Parliamentary veteran and of a military expert as well.
At his feet, behind the Minister's bench, two of the most prominent army chiefs were sitting in plain- clothes as military advisers to the Government. Their presence was apparently supposed to impress wavering members of the left.
☆ ☆ ☆
One was General Joftre. Com- Army. mander-in-Chief of the heavy, broad-shouldered, with a big blond moustache, the other was General Pau, hero of 1871, who had lost his right arm in the war against Prussia.
"This third year of military service," sald the young member for Albertville. Is to be enforced upon the country as a result of the carelessness and laziness of the General Stall."
Old white-haired General. Pau turned crimson, jumped to hi fent, packed his papers under his only arm and started to walk away, followed by General Joffre, who was obviously surprised by this outburst of temper of his colleague. Prime Minister Barthou had just time enough to catch the flap- ends of their coats and to pull them back.
A pandemonium broke out, the whole Right howling down. Fells
.
Tried to
Dishonour
Chautempat his "insults to the Army," the Left protesting against that unprecedented demonstration of Generals in a French Parlia- ment.
Félix Chautemps stood impass- ive on the rostrum in the middle of the storm. Order was only re- stored when the Speaker cennared hta "regrettable words."
For days and weeks the re- actionary Press poured insulta over thetraltor who had shown so Hittle
General respect for the
Staff's infallibility,
A little more than one year Inter war broke out, and one of the first French M.P.s to fail on the battle- felds was the "traltor," Félix Chautempa. Had he survived the war he would probably have be- come Premier of France before his younger brother Camille.
Two other sans of Dr. Emile Chutemps died for their country; Maurice, who was killed in the war. and Heuri, a colonial Civil servant, who was murdered in Senegal by rebel tribes.
►
Or the five sons there remain two, Camille and Pierre, both Inwyers by profession. Pierre la not netive in polities, but is neverthe- less persecuted by reactionaries simply because he is Camille's brother.
It is in France the price of popti- larily on the Left to be the target of perfidious attacks from the RIGBL.
☆ ☆ ☆
When the Slavisky scandal broke out in 1934, M. Camille Chautemps had just become Premier for the second time. Those who wanted to exploit
the affair politically against The Republie invented a fantastic theory.
Stavisky, they said, was a pro- tector and financier of the Radical Party. He knew so much about Radicals that the Radical lenders. had to prevent him at any price from making disclosures.
He was therefore lured into a trap at Chamonix and a suicido was framed-up.
And who was it who arranged that murder? Of course, the Premler, Camille Chautemps, the Radical leader.
And the best evidence for that is that he was spending his Christ- mas holiday in the neighbourhood of Chamonix, apparently for en- joying winter sports-in fact, for watching closely the execution of the murder plot against the finan- cial scoundrel!
☆☆
*
But this was only the beginning of the campaign-not a mere cam- paign of gossips, but of articles, of speeches, of cartoons, in which M. Chautemps was openly described as a murderer.
A few weeks later-the Chau- temps Cabinet had meanwhile re- signed in the tornado caused by
scandal-a the Stavisky
Parls
1. Camille Chaufemps, New French Premier
Judge, M. Albert Prince, was found dead on the railway near Dijon.
death On that mysterious (which was much later clearly proved to be a suicide) the Fascists had immediately a theory.
M. Prince, they said and printed, was on the eve of revealing how Stavlaky had enjoyed protection by the French justice authorities after his first trauda, because of his close, relations with the Radi- cals. The Chief Publle Prosecutor of Paris is M. Prensard, M. Press- ard is the brother-in-law of M. Chautemps. Therefore, in order to prevent M. Prince from expos- ing his brother-in-law and hin Party, M. Chautemps hired a few gangsters who lured M. Prince into a trap at Dijon, murdered him, and laid the dead body on the rails to fake a suicide.
☆ ☆ ☆
This was said, repeated, printed day by day all over France for nearly half n year. And what is even worse-milllons believed it.
I am not quite sure that there are not hundreds of thousands who either still believe it or, at After all-a least, still say,
One dignatory... masonic
CATI
never
know... There may be something in it..."
M. Camille Chautemps displayed
he indifference,
In suffered
French that ollence, knowing common sense would prevail over political basoness and fanaticism.
After a few He was right. months the whole campaign sud- denly collapsed, when the double life of M. Prince was revealed, and also the part which he had played In the protection enjoyed by Slavisky after his first frauds.
But while M. Chuutemps was
TELEGRAPH.
JULY WEDNESDAY,
splendidly vindiented, it came too late for his brother-in-law. M. Pressard, whose heart virtually broke through grief and disgust.
When M. Léon Blum appointed M. Camille Chautemps a member of his Cabinet, nobody, even among lils most fanatical libellers of 1934. dared recail with one word the old,
'murder' and yet so recent, charges against him.
2 M
"
The new Premter showed, any- way, on that occasion that he is n philosopher of the old Stole school, but also that he lacks fighting spirit.
He 1 a political diplomat, a master of tactics. He is a good, but not brillant, speaker, and he dis- One of likes spectacular moven. his main qualities-which is not common in French parilamentary thu life, and especially not in Radical Party is his political re-. Hability,
M. Léon Blum trusted him when he offered to make him a Mini- ter of State in his Cabinet, and M. Chautemps remained loyal all the time, although it would have been easy for him to use his enormous Influence in the Radical Party and the his perfect knowledge of "lobbies" in a quite different way. This is the reason why the Radi- cals, and the Socialists with them, prefer him to the more brilliant. official party but less reliable leader, M. Daladier.
it
M. Camille Chautemps has the ambition of a man who knows that not only his personal quali- tles, but also his family name, which is already attached to the history of the Third Republic, entitle him to play a leading part in ruling his country.
But he apparently not satia- fled with being considered
E3 home politica. master desire is to prove that he is also n statesman of international scale. He would have liked to become M. Blum's Minister of Foreign Affairs. As this was not possible he was satisfied with remaining behind the scene, the main in- spirer of M. Delbos (and the Iriends of the Spanish Republle will perhaps add not always for the beat!.
As a Minister without a portfolio he had no Ministry to administer. But he chose to settle in a room of the Qual d'Orsay, from which he was in permanent contact with M. 'Delbos.
*
On
15 Influenco Henceforth foreign politics will be more direct. and more oficial.
As a man who lost two of his brothers in the war, and whose two grown-up nens are students, one may be sure that he will do every- thing in his power to maintain pence in Europe, as M. Léon Blum did before him.
Let us only hope that he will not allow his determination to prevent war to be misunderstood by the Fascist Powers as an indication of French weakness and cowardice.
:
Victor
Schiff
To-day's Thought
A COMFORTABLE house is a great source of happiness.
It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience,
-SYDNEY SMITH.
WHAT I SAW IN ITALY
Rocco, the Cabinet about the intrlente German slluation ITALY belongs to the group of with Signor
I do not propose to sum-up the countries which virtually repu- Minister concerned with the foreign as uttered by the week-end visitor. diate their awn banknotes at their Press.
Gayde, despite his intimacy with present mood of Italy on the basis own frontlers,
Only a sum to the limit of 300 lire the Duce, whose Press mouthpiece of my own fugitive visit. is allowed to be imported in Italian he is, shows a quite surprising inde currency, and the Austrian Journal- pendence of outlook at times.
tions.
been slaughtered in Franco's interest. should have
When the Duce appears there is lusty cheering spontaneous cheer- ing I surmise-yet there in much Krumbling. The picture drawn by Fascist propagandists of an Itals
But surface impressions may have lined unanimously behind the Duce
I saw litle to is a little far-fetched.
on
A little obtusely, as I think, he ist who was my companion between
Prices soar and wages lag, despite Vienna and Venice was called to does not appear to understand why their usefulness.
"This ten- Italy Is slackening.
periodical wage Increases. Among order for ignorance of the regula- relailons between Britain and Italy uggest that Mussolini's grip
should be so strained.
Many simple people, themselves the young Fascists, one of whose is Count Ciano, Foreign At the frontier and in those parts slon is altogether abnormal in our
not far from the hunger line, are leaders of Italy where my misalon took me relations and must be got rid of,"
grateful to him for giving them "the Minister and Mussolini's son-in-law, there was nothing to suggest that the he remarked.
Gayda wanted to know why the Empire." altogether there is a grow- there is a tendency to find the Duce's traditional courtesy of Italian to-
hostile to the ing disposition to wonder whether it ideas and policy tiresome and slightly wards the foreigner has in any way Left continues so been affected by existing internation- Duce. "I could understand your was quite worth the price in blood old-fashioned. But their loyalty to him personally continues unshaken, Tories hating him, but why the and treasure pald. Liberals and why Labour? Why do
Spain the Left parties refuse to acknow
al tension.
About
indifference is
young
Italians
The British visitor my own ex-ledge the advanced social aspect of general, an indifference mixed with perience is confirmed by the ex-Fascism? Have they forgotten that resentment that perience of others still meets with Mussolini has been a Socialist? the friendliness Invariably, remark-
Minister Rocco, n handsome man
soft.
ed upon by the young men who did with tanned complexion and
the Grand Tour in the eighteenth brown eyes, stressed the same note
century.
in persuasive fashion.
English schoolgirls feed the pigeons..
In the Plazza di S. Marce in the sun-
Shine with Intentness. Pigeons settle
Mussolini's energy, seems still to
In their hats. There is much titter- be boundless-he piloted his plane ing. Interested Venice school child- from Rome to Venice and various ren gather round. Walters, pausing rumours notwithstanding, he looks In their
work, look on benignly. very fit physically.
But he has a tense anxious look Cameras clleit.
the strain The antagonisms aroused by the and a nervousness of gesture which
onu supposes, overrunning of Abyssinia or by civil betray,
under which he has lived for montho war in Spain find no echo here.
As in Germany to-day, 'so in Italy, bast
The defeat of the Blackshirta in the mass of the people show na bitterness against the lands opposed Spain-and perhaps the fact of its dictators becoming known no completely in most violently to the
In democratie lands upset him very surely
hopeful
ful symptom
much. He would like to see certain Europe's present turmel Venice hotel Anglican ecclesiastics in the stocks. lle is fully aware of the immense lapped by the waters of the Grand Canal I talked at length. first with diMculties of exploiting his triumph Signor Gayda, of the Rome Glor- in Abyssinia. nale d'ftails, a journalist
On the terrace of a
with During a long stay in Germany whom British lenderwriters have nothing was apt to exasperate me repeatedly crossed swords, and then so much as to hear genoralisations
CANTON
John Segrue
AGENTS
for the
28, 1937.
Why Husbands
Detest Shopping
SK me to go to buy a new washer for the bathroom tap and I wouldn't hesitate for
I have second, although never-bought a washer for a bathroom tap in my life.
a
But when my wife mys that she has forgotten to get the ontors for the stew and would I mind, etc., it's an altogether different matter.
On these occasions I not only best- tate, I protest loudly at the injustice of such request.
Perhaps
you, Sir, think nothing of walking into a shop and asiting for
parsley. pennyworth of But have you ever tried to com- pete for the attentions of a harassed a crowded provision assistant in store? Have you ever attempted to buy a packet of mixed herbs from R completely disinterested party when surrounded by a mob of gesticulating women?
For although the bulk of these women may be loyal wives and mothers, as soon as kind-hearted they step inside a chop they lose They whatever
qualities Food
possess.
She gets away with It
THE
come in
MIE type I have
dread most is the woman who has a contemptuous disregard for the needs of her fellow-beings,
be half a dozen cua- There may
tomers waiting to be served when she comes into a shop; but by brute force she manages to gel in front of the counter and, without a blush, states her requirements in a volce which
be heard ean
street.
three doors up the
The troubic is this sort of woman (and it is no Isolated type) invariably She is not neces- gela away with it.
As often as not she is small and fragile-looking with a face like a morlyr.
sarily a big woman,
But because she has a "way with her" and knows it she is never kept It her waiting as other people are.
strong to voice not sufficiently attract the attention of the assistant, she bents on the counter with her umbrella, or raps out a tattoo with a tin of ox-tall soup.
(who
Then there is the woman always seems to be just in front of me) who promptly forgets what she has come to buy as soon as her turn comes.
She turns out her bag on the coun- ter in a vain search for her shop-
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ping list. She says, "Oh, dear, what | LONDON SERVICE could I have done with 17"
exhaustive Eventually, after an exploration, she discovers that she has been clutching the list in her hand all the time.
What a Waste
BUT what about the woman who regards everything with acute suspicion? She probably wastes more time than all the rest put together. "Are you sure those eggs are freah?" (as if they'd say they weren't!) "Is this cheese quite all right, do you think?"
it
She handlen the stock as though were all highly contaminated. She questions the price of everything, adding that it la monstrously dear.
Finally, she goes out of the shop without buying anything.
The gossipy woman takes a lot of this type is find that beating. I always just in front of me, too. She'll stand there opposite the counter prattling on about trouble she had with that last joint, and how Emily said, etc., oblivious of the fact that a queue of people is forming up behind her.
No chance for Me
VHY don't I barge in and lard" or "Two lamb chopal" or what- ever it is I have been sent out to ftet?
Because al precisely the moment that such a thought enters my head, the woman standing directly behind me suddenly elbows her way to the front and blurts out, "Do you mind,
a hurry! A pound I'm in rather and-a-linlf of stewing
steak, please!"
Women It happens all the time. shoppers make a point of utterly of a man. Ignoring the presence What on-earth-can-he-be-wanting In-here seems to sum up their atti- tude.
WHY
say, "Half, a pound of
Well, I suppose shopping for the household necessities is a woman's game. Nevertheless, when there's a mixed match on I wish they'd pay a little more attention to the rules (if any).
Hongkong Telegraph MAKES SEWING EASIER
WM.
FARMER & CO.
Victoria Hotel Building.
Shameen, Canton,
Tel. 13501.
Use3-la-oncolion all worklog parts and see how much easier and smoother your sewing machine
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