FRANCES DISRAELI

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4046, 11 May 1938, Page 9

FRANCES DISRAELI

HOW LEON BLUM CAME INTO HIS OWN. Leon Blum, the French writer, statesman and leader of the .Popular Front, has been described on many occasions as the French Disraeli, but like all such comparisons, it is true only as a broad, sweeping generalisation. Like Disraeli, he is a Jew; and each owed his advancement to hi? own ability and character. Each had to .overcome almost invincible racial prejudice, but despite that prejudice each became an outstanding Prime Minister in his own country. Beyond that the similarities are not very mar-

From the Ministerial bench Premier Blum corrected: “No, that is from Lucretius.” The Opposition deputy insisted that he was right: "What will you bet?” he asked. “Anything you like,” replied Blum. "The fate of your Cabinet?” Blum laughingly nodded, adding “Let Heriot be the arbiter.” Edouard Heriot, himself an erudite classical scholar, was presiding over the Chamber. With a tragi-comical gesture he veiled his face with his hands, and in his deep resounding voice, said, “Then 1 am afraid the Cabinet is beaten!” The whole House roared with laughter, for M Blum’s marvellous memory has very rarely played him false. The notorious Dreyfus “frame up” had a powerful influence on Blum, but despite the part he played in securing the restoration of Dreyfus to the honours from which anti-Semitic prejudice had torn him away he did not enter politics until 1906; and it was not until 1914 that he began to play a leading place in French affairs. Jean Jaures was his guiding star. They had been brought closely together in the nineties in the fight for justice for Dreyfus and still closer after Blum entered .Parliament. H has been said that Jaures became to Blum what Socrates was to Alcibiades, "but a. Socrates from whom there emanated an elemental force, like wind or fire, through the play of which one caught sight of a great heart and of rich treasures of imagi nation.” Blum has said that of all the men he has met there was nofte, save perhaps Albert Einstein, on whom the sea! of genius was so iHs implanted.” * ’ ' of a book so full -4th the poli-'-.-ders of