Election Notes

Premier Poincare, at Paris, urged world peace, ratification of the Lausanne Treaty, reparations guarantees, stabilization of the franc, in a notable election speech.

Ex-Premier Briand, at Nantes, said that election day, May 11, would be an epoch in the annals of the Republic. "It will weigh on the destiny of France for many years accordingly as the Deputies sent to the Chamber are really free men or otherwise. It will also have an effect throughout the world," he asserted. He continued that what: he most dreaded for France was isolation, which had been so disastrous to her in 1815 and 1870. He denied that he was the intransigeant enemy of Premier Poincare and stated that he would have taken the same measures to make Germany pay had he been in the Premier's shoes.

Andre Tardieu, Clemenceau disciple, in an article to The New York World, painted a red picture of French Communist demands as set forth in their election literature. He stated that the Communists get wilder and wilder every day in every way, but that he did not think that they would get more than 20 out of the 600 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

Near Paris Andre Tardieu arose to address a meeting. When he was well under way, a Communist interrupted, said he wanted to address the meeting. Andre refused to permit this and continued to speak. Thereupon up jumped the Communist and threw Andre off the platform. After a struggle, in which Andre lost some of his clothing, he was replaced upon the platform by the strong hands of his supporters. Up sprang Andre Marty, notorious Communist. Andre II laid heavy hands upon Andre I, who was kicked, scratched, bitten and "generally beaten up." The meeting then broke up, Andre I retiring "with hardly any clothes."

Another report stated that the utmost apathy over the election campaign war being evinced by the electorate.* The reason for this was given as the inconspicuous character of the candidates French allegedly being prone to vote for individual character rather than party labels.

* last election only 32% of the electorate voted. It was not expected that this figure would be surpassed in the coming election.,