CLEMENCEAU DEAD

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1929, Page 5

CLEMENCEAU DEAD

(United Press Association—By Electno felegraph—Copyright).

PARIS, November 23

M,. Clemeanceau is- not lexpeeted to last many hours. To his family, assembled rqund his bedside, the “Tiger” indicated he realised his end was near by discussing his own funeral, stating he resented the idea of a State funeral. He besought them not to announce his death till two days after the event, find meanwhile to take his body to his country home in La Vendee, and there bury him'in an upright position beside his father’s grave. PARIS, No ember 2-1. (

At. Clemencean at midnight on Saturday. sank into a torpor bordering on complete delirium. He only occasionally recognised bis relatives.

END OF FAMOUS FRENCHMAN

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, November 24

Obituary.—M. Georges Clemencean. Tremendous*. qrowds visited M. Clemenceau’s... house .in Rue Franklin, Paris, to tender silent,, homage to a statesman, who, ?iboye all others, personified "Lq Patrie’s ” unconquerable

5pirit,,....... 7 . . .. : ,i ...{ Doctors came and .went, but every ~time shook their heads mournfully, . spying; jt, ft is. hopeless :he cannot ,liVe.” ..1 . . .. . Old “Tiger” seldom spoke,all day long, but endured intense pi/in without complaint,,, though ~s uppressed groans , (jffgt* occasionally heard. . - ; Tlm doctors ono,e asked if he felt pnni ■vyjienj M. Clemenceau ./relied“ Yes, , dreadfully.? ; ,j a :•••/ •

~.Morphia , w,as administered to .relieve suffering, and be sank into a coma prior to death.

Great French personages and representatives of many foreign States called at the house and left cards, a)so Colonel. Alfred Dreyfus, who when almost friendless during the celel rated France-wide upheaval, found M. Clemenceau suddenly championing his innocence.

j£Georges Clemenceau, aged-88, was

ex-Prapiierdf'France. He retired oj K.idto; private life after:so years’, battling -i:W>in French .politics.- (He. waS ft defender. f-Vr.fof Dreyfiispand-tbe Separation, Bill was. ■ ' largely his iwiork. •> <A native of Brit-.

tairiv, lie was a doctor by education, a politician by choice, a born orator, and 3 tty: n. keep' journalista /swordsman, too. -iWas ißremier from November, 1917:, to • ;<.• 1920. .ir. .Visitedi London/- March,: ■ ci;' iatid after 1 , the!; armistice; .when he re--1,: •/■. eeived an ovatioti.' An attempt .on his. .i’ klife in Paris, was fortunately- unsuceess-

, • ful.V : Acclaimed "at Versailles 'after -■/- signing the Peace Treaty. Resigned the Premiership in January, 1920. i Visited India in 1921.] 1

0, r . ,-i HIS LAST WORDS . , . BEDSIDE SCENES. -v<i iir) o: (Rec«iv»d /tbifMday: at: 8 annO v, ‘■PARlS,’'November ; Daring a 'lucid interval, M. Clemen-. «i:>'ni.ce!a'n rchnraoteristifcally said,' ;not . r , : . /tvant women 'bis "deathbed.- j lie j } eVen . asked rihat-'Sister. ""Treoneste who nursed him' in Ins'lllness'should not be allowed to be-present n't the last mOm•v>b. vents. Nevertheless '-he murmured when ,'.he.isbw:iher kneeling at the bedside in •'tears**-*!film not going to prevent you praying for mejV.-ftnd.'.‘there .was ; no i ; . pif spycasrp in the voice-,..0n1y tenderness and respect for one so 1 devoted.* In the afternoon the priest Monseigneur De Lavatte, who in spite of M. Clemenceau’s anticlericalism, was np old friend called and said after- ' , wards^-“I. gave my blessing through the half open door., I think his having a Sister with him shows that although

he> had not’retracted his radical views /■ yet his! sentiments were:Unopposed to religion. His anticlericalism is overlooked in contemplation of the great Frenchman, in;mense.services ,ex■cu as " iV ’M,"-Boncoyr called,.. bearinj? a tiny ■' l ‘siitehel ! of earth taken from the grave Joan of Aye for burial in Clenien-

.grave... j, " “'■(plemenceau has finished his, book replying to critics. Only lest Thursday he laid do,yn his pen in relief to he: seized five )iours later with abdomi- ' mhi! pains J which began ,the last illness. 1 . \lle.?began his book full of anger, but as 1 ihe progressed he.calnied down and ton eil down passages’written, saying although he differed he had. no emmity ancl only wished his own position to be ' clear. It will.be a remarkable book, written at a great age, and on the verge of the grave.,

.THE LAST MOMENTS. (Received this dav at 12.25. p.m.) PARIS, November 24. Sixty hours of agonising pain, made bearable by morphine,, pyepedeo M. Cldmelic^iEiu’s;fdeaths 5 1 1 >’ Just before his-death, M. Clemcnceau kissed * tTie hands ol his valet■chauffeur. He then died without uttering a word*.' 1 Great crowds assembled outside the residence to-day* including many ivar .{veterans. ■ • ' M. Doumergue (President) called and offered - France’s condolences to the family. M. Tardieu and other members of the - Cabinet, Ambassadors, and notables followed. M. Clemenceau died comparatively poor. Apart from a valuable collection of books and a few pictures, the estate is not expected to exceed £4,000. Newspapers of every shade offer a tribute to his devoted services to ■ France. / These views are best summed up by

“Quotidien,” which says: “M. Clemeneau at the supreme moment decided the fate of France.” “Be Temps” states the most fitting epitaph would be: “This was a man.

BRITAIN’S SYMPATHY

(Received ♦bis dav at 11 a.m., LONDON, November 24

Mr MacDonald lias sent a message to •the French Government as follows: ‘CM. Cl.emeneean’s indomitable courage and energy which his advancing years left undiminished roused the warmest admiration of my countrymen. The whole British nation grieves his passing.”

FRANCE MOURNS FOR CLEMENCEAU.

PARIS, November 24

There are signs of mourning throughout France and tri-colours are draped in black. The coffin will contain a vase made from a German shell, containing a bunch of faded flowers given Clemenceau during his visit to the trenches.