Paris, May 9.
One of "the most remarkable figures in the French general election contest, which is just on the point of closing, is M. Georges Mandel, who is seeking re-election the Gironde. As in the case of 0 many. French public men, the name by which he is known is not me hented but assumed. His real name is. said to" be Jeroboam Rothschild, "and he is of Jewish race. During the latter part of the war, he occupied a position of considerable influence, unhampered by responsibility. He was the confidential secretary of M. Clemenceat, who left all details to him and gave: him wide powers, which he used freely and at times ruthlessly.
After M. Clemenceau retired from power, M. Mandel resolved to trike' out. "for himself in public life, He was successful in his first attempt to enter Parliament, and hho has more than once proved a thorn inthe side of M, Poincaré uring the past legislature, Need-Jess to say, he is a strong adversary ofthe Bloc National. He has a bitter, ironical state of oratory, and an inconvenient memory for' facts! and dates. He generally exasperates his opponents by professing to look down upon them from the heights of his Intellectual superiority.
Two Powerful Allies.
Personally he can hardly be! much liked, but in his election. campaign he has on his list a vers' popular candidate, the Abbé Daniel Bergey, cure of the parish of St. Emilien, known all over the world for the excellent claret it produces. Who abb is a fine-looking, tal young priest, who served in the War and won the Legion of Honour: trid Groix'de Guerrer 'Ite has hat the Irish call "a way with him.' He knows the. winegrowers and. sants of the Gironde and can talk to them in a way which they probably appreciate much better than Mandel's irony.
But M. Mandel hi lly even more. infential. than the' Abbe Archbishop of Bordeaux, is placing Bergey. Cardinal Andrieux, all his influence at the service of the Mandel Li and Cardinal Andrieux is no ordinary prelate. Not long ago he expressed himself ronsiy- against the Glocesan so+ dations wilh the Pope now permits for. the "administration of Church affaire in French dioceses, and now advising all Catholics to vote for the lit headed by M. Mandel, He thinks they can have confidence in that gentleman because he voted for the resumption of relations between the French Government and the "Vatican and in. favour "of allowing certain congregations to tetum fo Fran 'The Cardinal does not think that 'M, Mandel's religious convictions need be taken into account ce Tong he defends the rights of "the Church. "We do not ask those who help us in a just cause to, share our' Teligious "beliefs" remneked the Cardinal the other day, "but I am none the less surprised that so intelligent a man can be so indifferent in religious questions. I to him: "My dear M. Mandel, if you turn your mind towards: God, He will come to you The interviewer asked if the Cardinal had any- iden of convert ing M. Mandel, but the Cardinal only smiled and replied: "It was my duty to say that to him."
The Olympic Games, The preliminaries of the Olympic Games have begun with the Rugby football tournament. match between France and Rumania, everyone expected, the Rumanians, though plucky. enough, were hope-essly outclassed. "Next Sunday, they play the United States, the Tntter meet France on the following Sunday and that will finish' the tournament, without the particip tion of any of the countries in which the game finds its highest express sion. The Association football tournament which comes next wi he larger but equally un represent tive, and it follows that. an Olympi championship title for football can carry no weight. The truth is that too many sports, practised in. different seasons of the year and different conditions of climate, have been added to the Olympic pro-@ramme since the Games "were occasion they lasted only six days and it was possible to get all the competitors together on the Stadium for the opening ceremony.
As the programme stands now, the public, hearing of Olympic football matches, wonders why there has been no ceremony of inauguration, not realizing that this solemn nity' is reserved for the beginning of the athletic: competitions in July. As for the 1924 festival, its organization has been hampered by the indifference or impotence of the public authorities. The Municipal Council became jealous of the Olympic Committee and could not make up its mind to assist liberally. A great deal of time was lost in, bickerings over the selection of the site. At the present moment the approaches to the Stadium are in a state of chaos because the work of making extra roads has been left to the very last moment.
Lieut. d'Oisy's Record.
Lieut, Pelletier d'Oisy, the French airman who at the present moment of writing is supposed to be flying somewhere between Calcutta and Siam, has a fine record, During the war he shot down four enemy machines and won the Legion of Honour as well as the Croix de Guerre with numerous bars. Since the war he has made innumerable long distance fights, notably from in 11 hours and from Paris to Casablanca and Tunis. He has gained great popularity by, his frank and boyish character. While the army before the war, he wa: given two days' confinement barracks for some trifling offence, and, happening to see a pole within reach, he used it for a jump over the wall and escaped. He tried it second time and broke his leg. When at Bucharest two years ago, hearing that a French team was about to play a Rugby match at Belgrade he tpt on his football clothes under his fying sult, set off {in his machine, came down' on the ground and joined in the fray.
During the war he and Navarre, a kindred spirit, were sent to a station where their taste for chasing the enemy was not appreciated, and they were kept under severe' cipline, which they resented, and the commander, not knowing what to do with such headstrong spirits, ordered them back to Rheims. They took their departure in. the presence of the whole acrodrome taft and of some British officers, and, to revenge themselves, they carried out a little comedy." They started their engines and made straight for the group of offers, pretending that their machines would not leave the ground, The officers hastily threw. themselves flat in the mud, and the aeroplanes sailed just over them. When they reached their de mn the two Jokers were sentenced to 15 ays' confinement to barracks for making a "too sensational start."
Of course Pelletier d'Oisy, being a full-blown lieutenant and come to years of discretion, would not indulge in any such pleasantries now! He is known throughout the French air service as "Pivolo" the name of a character in a sensational novel that appeared some years ago. One of Pelletier d'Oisy's comrades happened one day to call him "Pivolo" and the name stuck, It fits the simple, frank and adventurous character of its new owner, Election Surprises: M. Poincare Overthrown by Discontent at High Prices Paris, May 16.
The result of the general election has been almost as great a surprise to the French themselves as to the rest of the world. A week ago. it was regarded as certain that M. Poinearé wouldesecure at east a working majority. The absence. of excitement during the final week of the campaign strengthened this opinion, it being supposed that, if the electors really wanted a change of policy, they would have given some outward sign of their inten-ions. The results show that the real feeling of the elector eon. misunderstood. "They do het condenin M. Poinearé altogether, but they show that in the new Chamber hho would be in a minority of between 20 and20, and he has therefore decided to'retire at the end of this month, when the powers of the present Chamber expire, without wait. ing for an adverse vote.
'The voters' verdict may be partly due to the feeling that I. Poinearé was too absorbed in foreign affairs and did not pay sufficient attention'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.