On Friday week at Versailles M. Poincare was elected President
of the French Republic by the National Assembly The first ballot deprived M. Fame of the advantage which he bad gained in the ballots of the Republican groups of the Left. M. Poincare received 429 votes and M. Pains 327.
M. Poincare was thus justified of his refusal to abandon his candidature. But his 327 votes were six less than the absolute majority required. There was therefore a second ballot, in which he obtained 483 votes and M. Pams 296. M. Valliant, the Socialist candidate, received 69 votes. Echoes of the recent split in the Cabinet were heard in the surge of political excitement. The Radical opponents of M. Folmar& received his election with shouts of "A has l'elu de la Droite ! " M. Poincare told M. Dubost, who announced his election to him, that he
would forget the insults he had suffered. He then returned by train to Paris, and was hailed with enthusiasm in the streets. M. Poincare undoubtedly takes up his office amid a certain amount of bitterness, but his strong character, typical of his Lorraine birth, will serve him in what is expected to be a new reading of the duties of the Presidency. M. Briand is the new Prime Minister and M. Jonnart, formerly Governor- General of Algeria, becomes Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Previous page
