Paris, Nov. 30.
Back from his brief holiday, M. Clemehceau is steering the ship of Slate until the elections pre completed (the Senatorial an municipal voting still remains to be done) and it becomes his duty, in accordance with custom, to hand the resignation of his Government to the President of the Republic, M, Clemenceau is very chary of saying what he intends to do, probably because he prefers to reserve the right to change his mind and to act as the spirit moves him, He may make a trip to Egypt or he may settle down at once in his cottage on the shore of the Bay of Biscay and write his memoirs. In any case it is exceedingly unlikely that he will be a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic when M. Poincaré retires in February. The post would not be suited to his age or his temperament, and he is reported to have said that if he went to the Elysee he would not stay there three months.
The most likely candidate for the Presidency of the Republic is 'M. Paul Deschanel, the President of the Chamber of Deputies. A cultivated man of literary taste: and ability, a member of the French Academy and an effective orator who often rises to eloquence, M. Deschanel would be. an excellent President from the social and decorative point of view, though there seems to be some doubt as to whether, in the and who has the additional advantage of being rich. Leon Bourgeois, France's chief delegate at the Hague Congresses, would make a highly-respected Preside: but his health is too uncertain. Viviani, who was Premier when the war broke out, has great strength of character and might have @ large following if he came forward as a candidate.
wt, Since the above was written M. Deschanel hag beer elected. but the letter may' stand aa throwing an interesting light on issues of the recent contest.—Ed.
Licrt ox Dexrxix's Positios.
Maklakoff, who was sent as Russian Ambassador to France during M. Kerensky's brief reign of power and has remained in occupation of the post throughout all the upheavals of war and civil war, has just returned from Southern Russia, whither he went to confer with General Denikin. The latter, he is convinced,.will eventually reach Moscow. From a couple of thousand men, with a few guns, his army has grown into a force holding a front of 1,200 miles, extending from Tsaritsin on the Volga to Odessa on the Black Sea. Denikin has more men than he can arm or equip, and in this respect "he cannot dispense with help from the conquerors in the great war. The spirit of the army is excellent, according to M. Maklakoff. The men are fully con-vineed of the necessity of rooting out Bolshevism. Hundreds of officers have risen from the ranks through sheer merit, and there are generals of 20, just as in the wars after the French Revolution. The army is not numerous enough to occupy the whole of the front) and there have been frequent partial retreats, which have never event of any grave constitutional|mroved to be anything more than crisis, he would display the neces-temporary advantages for the sity strength of character. He Reds. has presided over the Chamber for so many years that one can be readily excused for forgetting that he was once a party man, and it is remarkable that in the whole of his long political career he has never been a Minister. He has had more than one opportunity of being Premier, but he has always preferred the less influential but more dignified duty, of presiding over the Chamber and watching other Premiers come to grief. It is supposed that his ambition from the first has been to become President of the Republic. and that he has systematically refused office in order to preserve a position of independence and impartiality unique in French political life. If his ambition is to be gratified at all. now will be the time; the Socialist extremity showd be his opportunity.
It is a question, however, when ther independence is the best passport to the Elysee. The senators and deputies who elect the President of the Republic often prefer a safe party man, such as M. Fallitres, and many of them might vote for M. Pams, the present Minister of the Interior, who, in virtue of his office, has had' the distribution of 2 great amount of patronage and favours, The position behind the front is admittedly less satisfactory. Great destruction has been wrought, manufactured goods are extremely dear, and there is not sufficient sseurity. 2s very few able-bodied men can be spared for police work. The peasants produce little food because there are so few articles that they can buy. As in all disturbed countries, speculation is rife and the cost of living is excessive. Honest officials are hard put to it to make both ends meet. Very few members of the Government can afford such luxuries as domestic servants. The Premier's wife has to wash the dishes herself.
Petlura, the Ukrainian leader, no longer has an army under his command but carries on a sort of guerrilla warfare behind the front, apparently in the hope of stirring up resistance. Denikin is opposed to independence for the Ukraine, and believes that Russia will again become united when the military power of the Bolsheviks is shattered—a task which he believes he: can perform with the help of sup-Plies from the Allies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.