NEW PRESIDENT ELECTED.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 16 June 1924, Page 9

NEW PRESIDENT ELECTED.

Victory for French Socialist. INTERESTING SITUATION CREATED. By Cabli —Pr.ea Association—Copyright Received 6.6 p.m., June 15. PARIS, June 13. M. Doumerge has been elected President. M. Doumerge .... 515 M. Painleve 309. The report that M. Herriot would not accept the Premiership from a President elected with votes from the Right, is disposed of by the announcement by the friends of M. Herrict, that whoever is elected President, M. Heriot will answer his call if he invited him to form a Cabinet. M. Doumerge, though an ardent Socialist, largely owes his election, to the fact that the Centre and Right Parties voted,for him in order to defeat the official candidate of those parties, M. Painleve, whom the. Moderates considered more of a party man than Doumerge. The new President began life as a lawyer. He was . elected to the Chamber in 1893, and held office in many Ministries. He was Premier for three months ending June, 1914. Soon after he became President of the Senate. He is described as a fine speaker, confident, polished and well informed. He is much respected and knows England well. He is most friendly towards her. Long before the war he advocated the closest Franco-British collaboration. The prospect, therefore, of M. Herriott and Mr MacDonald reaching a complete understanding on pending questions at the forthcoming meeting,, appears most favourable. ’

SELECTING NEW CABINET. / STORMY LIFE PREDICTED. By ijablf— Frsdi Yssociation —Copyright, (Received 12.10 a.m., June. 16.) PARIS,, June 14. . M. Marsal has tendered his. Cabinet’s resignation. M. Herriot formed a Cabinet, and anuounoed his hopes to go to . London next week end. The Cabinet is as follows: r., Premier and Foreign Affairs, M. Herriott. “ Justice, M. Renoult. War, General Nollett. Navy, M. Dumesnil. Interior, M. Chautemps. Finauce, M. Clementel. Education, M. Francois Albert. Public Works, M. Peytrai. Commerce, M. llaunaldy. Labour, M. Justing Godart. Agriculture, M. Queuiile. Colonies, M. Daladier. Pensions, M. Bovierlapierre. Liberated Regions, M. Dalbiez. The Cabinet is composed 1 entirely of Republican Socialists .and;’ Radies, Socialists, as the Socialists refused to take office in v the present circumstances. It is characterised'by a dearth of striking - personalities, though, 1 ’ the exceptions besides M. Herriot are M. Clementel (who. had already held,-the portfolios .of Finance and Commerce with distinction): and M. (hitherto President of the Inter-Allied Military Control Mission in Germany).

Political prophets predict that; the new Cabinet’s term of office will be short and stormy. It is noteworthy that M. Herriot is at the mercy of the Socialists, who constitute one-third of the - Left majority, of 300 or 320 with the Communists, which is faced with a coflipaet opposition of 260.

ELECTION OF PRESIDENT.

INTERESTING SCENE WATCHED BY BIG CROWDS.

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 12.35 a.m., June 15.) PARIS, June 14. The elite of Parisian society watched the voting from galleries. The whole Assembly burst into loud cheers when the result was announced, the Communists shouting ‘.‘Vive Jn Commune.” The demonstrations lasted several minutes, the Centre singing the “Marseillaise,” the Socialists and Communists singing the “Internationale.” The Premier (M. Marsal) immediately afterwards formally invested M. Doumerge with office. Congratulations followed. M. Painleve was among the first to felicitate. M. Painleve and M. Doumerge cordially kissed on botn The mihtary rendered honours, anl '-keeks to the delight of the spectators, the crowd cheered, as President Doumerge, accompanied by M. Marsal, left for the Elysee. whence President Millerand meanwhile had quietly departed.

President Doumerge immediately summoned M. Herriot.

Tn a speech at the ceremony of Investiture, M. Doumerge declared be would respect the constitution, standing above parties. He trusted the ■President and Parliament would collaborate to solve the grave problems to enable France to enter an era of useful work and peaceful progress. M. Do::merge is aged sixty-one. Ho is a Southerner, and is the first Protestant or bachelor President. He was at one time a member of the Colonial Magistracy, holding posts in TndoChina, and Algeria. Tl:o election is regarded as a severe blow to the Left Bloc. the entire opposition in the Chamber, and the whole Senate, including the Radical:, voting for him.