1937-07-28 — Page 8

12

THE

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

The Man They

C

AMILLE CHAUTEMPS was born in the heart of Paris 51 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 und that there was no meat in the pot on the fire.

Dr. Emlie Chautemps, who was so forgiving to the poor, became very popular among his fellow- citizens.

They sent him first to the Town Hall, then to the Palals-Bourbon,. the Houses of Parliament.

When he was later defeated he was already famous in French politics. He was given a sale sent in Savoy, the province in which the Chautempa family originated. He became a Senator and a Minister of Colonies.

He did not grow rich for three reasons, because ho forgot his fees when the patients were poor, be- cause he resisted the temptation of becoming wealthy through poll. ties; 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 Franco his elder brother Felix was suddenly placed in the lime- light of French politics through a dramatic incident in the Chamber of Deputies which I witnessed by chance from the Press gallery exactly 24 years ago.

Under pressure from Tharist Russia, the Government of M. Barthou had decided in 1913 to raise the period of milltary service front two to three years.

The whole country was roused by this demand. The Socialists, led by Jean Jaures, and the Radl- cals, led by M. Calliaux, decided to fight the Bill.

On the first day of the debate a tall.

allm

man in the thirties launched the attack. It was Felix for member the Chautemps. Albertville, in Bavoy,

His family name was noted, but it was his first big speech. The young man criticised the Bli with the skill of a Parliamentary veteran and of a military expert as well.

At his fect, 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 Joffre, Com-

the 01

Army. mander-in-Chiet 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 Prusala.

"This third year of military service," said the young member for Albertville, "Is to be enforced upon the country as a result of the carelessness and laziness of the General Staff."

Old white-haired General Pau turned crimson, jumped to his feet, 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 pandemonlum broke out. the whole Right howling down Fellx

Tried to Dishonour

Chautemps for his "insuits to the Army," the Left protesting ngainst 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 censured hla regrettable words."

For days and weeks the re- actionary Press poured insults over the traitor" who had shown so the General little respect for Staff's infallibility.

A little more than one year later war broke out, and one of the first French M.Ps to fall on the battle- fields was the "traitor." Félix Chautemps. Had he survived the war he would probably have be come Premier of France before his younger brother Camille.

Two other sons of Dr. Emile Chautempa died for their country; Maurice, who was killed in the war, and Henri, a colonial Clyli servant. who was murdered in Senegal by rebel tribes.

Of the five sans there remain two, Camille and Pierre, both Inwyers by profession. Plerre is not active in politics, but is neverthe- less persecuted by reactionaries simply because he is Camille's brother.

It is in France the price of popu iarity on the Left to be the target of perfidious attacks from the Right,

When the Stavisky scandal broke out in 1934, M. Camille Chautempo had just become Premier for the second time. Those who wanted to

affair exploit

politically the agalust The Republie invented à fantastic theory.

Stavisky, they said, was a pro- Lector and financier of the Radical Party. He know so much about Radicals that the Radical leaders had to prevent him at any price from making disclosures.

He was therefore lured into a trap at Chamonix and a suicide was tramed-up.

that

And who was it who arranged the or course, murder? Premier, Camille Chautemps, the Radical leader.

And the best evidence for that 15 that he was spending his Christ- mas holiday in the neighbourhood of Chamonix, apparently for en- jaying winter sports-in fact, for watching closely the execution of the murder plot against the Anan- cial scoundrell

✩ ✩ ✩

But this was only the beginning of the campaign-not a more 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 the Stavisky scandal-a Paris

M. Camille Chautemps,

New French Premier

Judge, M. Albert Prince, was found dend on the railway near Dijon.

On that

death mysterious (which was much later clearly proved to be a suleide) the Fascists had immediately a theory.

M. Prince, they said and printed, was on the eve of revealing how Stavisky had enjoyed protection by the French Justice authorities after bla frat frauds, because of his close relations with the Radi- cals. The Chief Public Prosecutor of Paris 13 M. Pressard. 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 his 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 ralls to take a suicide.

☆☆☆

This was said, repeated, printed day by day all over France for nearly half a 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 least, still say, After all- masonic dignatory... One never know..

There may something in it. ...

can be

In

M. Camille Chautemps displayed Indifference, he suffered alience, knowing that French common sense would prevail over political baseness and fanaticism.

He was right. After s few 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 Stavisky after his first frauds.

But while M. Chautemps was

WEDNESDAY,

splendidly vindicated, it came too lato for his brother-in-law, M. Pressard, whose heart virtually broke through grief and diegust,

When M. Léon Blum appointed M. Camille Clautemps a member of his Cabinet, nobody, even among his most fanaticial libellers of 1934, dared recall with one word the old.

murder and yet so recent. charges against him.

24 4

The new Premier showed, nny- .way, on that occasion that he is a philosopher of the old Stole school. but also that he lacks fighting spirit.

He is a political diplomat, a master of tactles. He is a good, but not brilliant, speaker, and he dis- One of likes spectacular moves. his main qualities which is not common in French parliamentary life, and especially not in the Radical Party-is his political re- lability,

M. Leon Blum trusted him when he offered to make him a Minis- ter of State in his Cabinet, and M. Chautemps remained loyal all tho time, although it would have been easy for him to use his enormous Influence in the Radical Party and his perfect knowledge of the "lobbles" in a quite different way.

This is the reason why the Radi- cala, and the Socialists with them, prefer him to the more brilliant, but less reliable official party leader, M. Daladier.

* th

*

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 is apparently not satis- fed

considered a with being

His master of home politics. desire is to prove that he is also a 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- apirer of M. Delbos (and the friends of the Spanish Republic will perhaps add not always for the best,

As a Minister without a portfollo he had no Ministry to administer. But he chose to settle in a room of the Quai d'Orsay, from which he was in permanent contact with M. Delbos.

on

Henceforth his influence foreign polities will be more direct and more official.

As a man who lost two of his brothers in the war, and whose twu grown-up sons. 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

belongs to the

group

I countries vir Brun of with Sisor Rocco, the Cabinet is uttered by the veels-end visitor dlate their own banknotes at their Press.

Gayda, despite his Intimacy with present mood of Italy on the bass

own frontiers.

JULY 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 . second, although I have never bought a washer for a bathroom tap in my life.

But when my wife says that she has forgotten to get the onions for the stew and would 1 mind, etc., it's an altogether different matter.

On these occasions I not only hest- tate, I protest loudly at the injustice of such request.

Perhaps you, Sir, think nothing of n shop and asking for walking into a slop

b pennyworth of parsley,

But have you ever tried to com- pete for the attentions of a harassed assistant in

provision crowded store? Have you ever attempted to buy a packet of mixed herbs from a disinterested party when

COW by a mob of gesticulating

For nlthough

women

the bulk of these wives and As soon

may be loyal kind-hearted mothers,

they step inside a shop they lose whatever good qualities they possess.

She gets away with It

THE type I have come to dread most is the woman who has a contemptuous disregard for the needs of her fellow-beings.

There may be half a dozen cus- tomers waiting to be served when she shop; but by brute force comes into she manages to get in front of the counter and, without a blush, states her requirements in a voice which three doors up the can be heard street.

The trouble is this sort of woman (and it is no isolated type) invariably gets away with it. She is not neces- sarily a bit woman. As often as not she is small and fragile-looking with a face like a martyr.

But because she has a "way with her" and knows it she is never kepi waiting as other people are. If her voice is not sufficiently strong to attract the attention of the assistant, she beats on the counter with her umbrella, or raps out a tattoo with a tin of ox-tati soup.

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.

(who

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, whnt | LONDON SERVICE could I have done with it?"

Eventually, after an exploration, she discovers that she has been clutching the list in her hand all the time.

What a Waste

BUT

UT 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 (as if they'd say eggs are fresh?" they weren't) "Is this cheese quite all right, do you think?"

She handles the stock as though it were all highly contaminated, She questions the price of everything, adding that it is monstrously dear.

Finally, she goes out of the shop without buying anything.

The gossipy woman takes a lot of beating. I And that this type is 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 o queue of people is forming up behind

Cabinet about the intricate German situation should have been slaughtered in

Franco's interest.

her. When the Duce appears there is lusty cheering spontaneous cheer- Ing I surmise yet there grumbling. The pleture drawn by Fascist propagandists of an Italy

I do not propose to sum-up the 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.

A little obtusely, as 1 think, he

much

But surface impressions may have lined unanimously behind the Duce

saw litle to is a little far-fetched.

ist who was my companion between Vienna and Venlee was called to does not appear to understand why their usefulness. I order for ignorance of the regula- relations between Britain and Italy suggest that Mussolini's grip on

should be so strained. "This ten Italy is slackening. tions.

Prices sour and wages log, despite perlodical wage increases. Among Many simple people, themselves the young Fascists, one of whose At the frontler and in those parts sion is altogether abnormal in our of Italy where any mission took me relations and must be got rid of," not far from the hunger line, are leaders is Count Clano, Foreign, there was nothing to suggest that the he remarked.

grateful to him for giving them "the Minister and Mussolini's son-in-law, traditional courtesy of Italians to- Guyda wanted to know why the Empire," altogether there is a grow there is a tendency to find the Duce's wards the foreigner has in any way Left continues so hostile to the ing disposition to wonder whether it idens and policy tiresome and slightly been affected by existing internation- Duce. I could understand your was quite worth the price in blood old-fashioned. But their loyalty to al' tension.

Tories hating him, but why the and treasure pald,

him personally continues unshaken. Liberals and why Labour? Why do the Left purtles refuse to acknow-

About Spoln Indiference The British vuitor-my own ex- ledge the advanced social aspect of general, an indifference inixed with perience is confirmed by the ex- Fascist? Have they forgotten that reseniment perience of others still meets with Mussolini has been the friendliness Invariably remark-

Socialist?" Minister Rocco, a handsome man

a

ed upon by the young men who did with fanned complexion and soft

the Grand Tour in the eighteenth brown eyes, stressed the same note

century.

English schoolgirls feed the pigeons

In the Pinzza di S. Marco in the sun-

shine with intentness, Pigeons settle

In persuasive fashion.

Mussolini's energy seems still to

In their hats. There is much. Litter- he boundless-he piloted his plane

ing. Interested Venice school child- from Rome to Venice and varlous:

benignly, very fit physically.

ren gather round. Walters, pausing rumours notwithstanding. he looks. In their work, look on Cameras click.

But he has a tense anxious look

The antagonisms aroused by the and a nervousness of gesture which overrunning of Abyssinin or by civil betray, one supposes, the war in Spain find no echo here.

atroin

under which he has lived for months

As in Germany to-day, so in Italy, past the mass of the people show no

The defeat of the Blackshirts in

-bliterness against the lands opposed Spain-and perhaps the fact of lis

most violently

to the dictators becoming known so completely in in democratie lands-upset him very symptom hopeful Europe's present turmoil.

much. He would like to see certain Anglienn ecclesiastics in the stocks. He is fully aware of the Immense

On the terrace of n Venice hotel Iapped by the waters of the Grand Canal I talked at length first with difficulties of exploiting his triumph Signor Gayda, of the Rome Glor- in Abyssinia.

-nalo d'Italia, a Journalist

with. During a long stay in Germany British lenderwriters have nothing was apt to exasperate me repeatedly crossed swords, and then so much as to hear generalisations

whom

that young Italians

CANTON

John Segrue

AGENTS

for the

Hongkong Telegraph

WM. FARMER & CO.

Victoria Hotel Building. Shameen, Canton.

Tel. 13501.

No chance for Me

THY don't I barge in ond lard!" or "Two lamb chops!" or what- ever it is I have been sent out to ket?

Because at 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, I'm in rather a hurry! A pound- and-a-half of stewing steak, please

It happens all the time, shoppers make a point of utterly Ignoring the presence of a man. 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 women's game, Nevertheless, when there's a mixed match on I wish they'd pay a little more attention to the rules (if any).

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