OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18299, 16 January 1923, Page 7

OBITUARY.

—,—♦ •'" FORMER FRENCH PREMIER. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. ; (Reed. 4.5 p.m.) PARIS, Jan. 14. The death is announced of M. Ribotj , a former Prime Minister of France. M. Ribot, who had reached the age of 80 years, was one of the most distinguished figures in French ponies. He was four times Prime Minister of France —in 1892, in 1895, in June, 1914, when, however, hisi Ministry lasted only one day, owing to the Radical opposition to the Three Years' Military Service Law. and again in 1917, when, despite the bui den of 75 years, he guided *the destinies . of France from March till September. M. Ribot was an intellectual' of the type of Lord Balfour. He first entered the Chamber in 1878 and became Minister of Foreign Affairs under M. de Freycinet in 1890. He retained this office in M. Loubet's Government in 1892, and became, Prime Minister in December of that year. 4 After a brief eclipse he again became head of the Government in January, 1895, and remained in power until the following October. For nearly 20 years after that he was out of office, though he continued to be a notable figure "in Parliament. % After the failure of his attempt to carry on the government in June, 1914, he was not long out of office, as he became Minister of Finance on August 26, in M. Viviani's Cabinet, and retained that office until his brief Premiership, and prepared the way for M; Clemenceau. M. Ribot understood England probably as well as any living Frenchman, arid he was a great admirer of English institutions. His first book, indeed, was a biography of Lord Erskine. M. Ribot was a firm believer in the Entente, and to„Jiim, too, belonged the credit of having prepared the way for the FrancoRussian Alliance. It was when he was Foreign Minister in 1891 that the understanding with Russia was declared to the world by the visit of> the French Fleet to Kronstadt. ' .'• ' i I •