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LEFT CLEMENCEAXJ 14 CLEMENS of the Municipal Council of Paris, but from 1876 to 1893, his service in the Chamber of Deputies was continuous. There he took his place with the radicals of the extreme left, and rapidly rose to leadership. He was prominent in the overthrow of the ministries of Gambetta (1882), Ferry (1885), Brisson (1886) and Freycinet (1886). Boulanger also found in him a formidable opponent. The Panama scandal of 1892 cast un- favorable reflections on Clemenceau and caused a vigorous and successful cam- GEORGES B. E. CLEMENCEAU paign to be waged against his re-election (1893). He then, for a few years, de- voted himself entirely to journalism and the editorship of "L^ Justice," founded by him in 1880. Later (1900-1902) he published "Le Bloc," and after his elec- tion to the Senate (1902), edited "L'Au- rore" (1903-1907), in which he had ar- dently supported the cause of Dreyfus. Later he became the editor of the news- paper, "L'Homme Libre." The destroyer of so many ministries consented for the first time to accept a portfolio in March, 1906, whence he be- came Minister of the Interior in the Sar- rien Cabinet. In October of the same year he was called upon to form the min- istry which was to be of such long dura- tion. Starting with an anti-clerical and even socialistic platform. Clemenceau soon won other than radical votes by his firmness in upholding the powers of the Government against the demands of any of the classes of the people, as he showed in his handling of the troubles in the wine-growing districts and in the ener- getic measures he used to control matters during the mining and other strikes. At the same time he pushed the reforms that aimed at the relief of the working element of the population, such as the employers' liability law and the bill cre- ating old age pensions. The downfall of his ministry occurred unexpectedly July 20, 1909, because of Clemenceau's per- sonal attack on Delcasse, former Minis- ter of Foreign Affairs. During the World War, he was an en- thusiastic advocate of determined mili- tary action and an unsparing critic of timid policies on the part of the govern- ment. He exposed the treason of Bolo Pasha, and in November, 1917, suc- ceeded Painlevd as Premier. At that time Allied prospects were most discour- aging, owing to the Russian defection and the preparations by the Germans for the great spring drive of 1918. But be- fore long, Clemenceau's indomitable cour- age and magnificent energy had stimu- lated the national spirit and paved the way for the final victory. When the Ger- man cause finally collapsed, Clemenceau was chosen President of the Peace Con- ference. While the Conference was in progress, he was shot by an assassin, but the wounds he received were not fatal, and he himself intervened to prevent the death penalty being carried out upon his assailant. In 1920, he was a candidate for President, but withdrew his name before the election. Immediately after- ward, Clemenceau started on a journey to Egypt and the Orient, and later went to India. Clemenceau was the author of several books and plays, the most important of which are the following: "De la gene- ration des elements anatomiques"; "La melee sociale" (1894) ; "Le grand Pan" (1895) ; "Les massacres d'Armenie" (1896) ; "Les plus forts" (1898) ; "Au pied du Sinai" (1898); "L'iniquite" (1899); "Vers la reparation" (1899); "Contre la justice" (1900) (the last three republished from "L'Aurore," in defense of Dreyfus) ; "Au fil des jours" (1900) ; "Le voile du bonheur" (1901) ; "Aux embuscades de la vie" (1903) ; "La grande honte" (1903) ; "Figures de Ven- due" (1903), etc. CLEMENS, SAMUEL LANGHORNE (best known by his pen name of Mark Twain), an American humorist; born in Florida, Mo., Nov. 30, 1835. He worked for some time as a compositor in Phila- delphia and New York, and then in 1851 learned the business of pilot on the Mis-