M. Blum has been identified with the Socialist movement since 1809.
He was a faithful collaborator of the martyred Jean Jaures whom he later succeeded. In 1914 M. Blum aided Jaures in establishing "Humanite." The same year M. Blum served as chief of cabinet of Marcel Sembat, Socialist leader who entered the Great War government as Minister of Public Works.
M. Blum was first elected Deputy in 1919 and quickly rose to the leadership of the Socialsit'. Party. After a split in the Socialist ranks at the Congress of Tours, as a result of which the Communist Party was organized. M. Blum became manager of "Lo Populaire," newly-founded Socialist daily newspaper.
M. Blum defeated for re-election in the Chamber in the Department of the Seine in 1928, but in a bye-election in 1929 he was elected in the wine district of Narbonne which he represented as long as he was in the government.
M. Blum is not an orator but a remarkable debater. He has four brothers, one of whom was director of the Monte Carlo Theatre. The others were still in the silk business at the outbreak of the present war. M. Blum is reported io have lost the major portion of his inherited fortune in an attempt to save -his brothers when the silk business was badly hit by a crisis.
Although no longer rich, M, Blum was in modest but comfortable circumstances before the outbreak of the European war.—United Press
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.