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Show NEW CANDIDATES FOR I FHENCHPRESIDENCY I M. Clemenceau and Others I Oppose M. Poincare, the I Overwhelming Favorite. , I FRIEND OF JOURiNALISTS II Present Premier Courteous-to i Opposing- Newspapers as S;l j Well as to Supporters. ,, 1:1 By GEORGE BTJFREENE. 3H Special Cable to The Tribune. !HIi PARTS, Dec. 11. In about a month, probably on January 16, it . is to bo HH decided who is to bo the next presi- Wfl dent of France, and although, a prosi- fl dcntial campaign hero is a vory tamo Hfl affair indeed in comparison aith. an Wj I American election, it stirs up consid crable excitement. II As tho election approaches tho situ- W ation seems to bo growing more and more confused and the number of pos- fSMI siblo candidates is almost daily ox Only ono candidate, M. Leon Bour- vl gcois, who has been elected a member H of tho French academy, may be con- sidered as having dropped out of the SI race aud tho present favorites are M. Hi Raymond Poincare, tho present primo Oftl minister; 1'. Antonin JJubone, presi- SHI dent ot tho senate, and "M. Paul Dss- P$ chanej. president of the chamber ot fill deputies. Ajnonjr others -who mar havo , iffl a chance are L Pams, !M". Jean Dupuy, (til M. Dokasso, M. Rihot, ?d". Doumer, Jf. flfl Briaud, and last, not least, a candidate cl who has .lost come forward into tho (fl limelight, M. Glomoncoau. HI Election letting is not common in fl Franco, but if it ere, I should , judge fall that odds vouhi be about three to four HI to ono in favor of M. Poincare, whose (I) prestigo and popularity in France to- II day aro enormous, a fact which, ho owes ml not only to the firmness and onerpy r he has displayed in conducting France s foreign policy, but partially also to nil the fact; that he is wide awake to tho Still j power of the press.i No statesman in nil , Franco has over treated journalists vrith HI so much respect and consideration as nl ii-. Poincarb and he has been just as 91 considerate to representatives of the Hi papers that oppoeo him as to political f friends in tho journalistic camp, with 101 tho result that ho has totally escaped nl tho bittor personal attacks of which Hl French journalists rue past masters. W. 8S Poincarb regularly receives a number fill of journalists and converses with them Mil on the political questions of the day in the most frank and. open manner, SI trusting to a their patriotism to treat 9 as1 confidential all information on for- eign affairs, -which is not intended for HI the cars of tho public, and ncycr has HI ho had anv reason to regret this. mil Should the rumor be confirmed that oM iM". Clomonceau is a candidato for presi- yPH dcntial honors, ho is apt to prove r. j&rl Poincare 's most serious competitor for jl Ihe former is undoubtedly considered f?tl the groatest all-around statesman in Fralico, to "whose dramatic career the u presidency -would form a fitting cli- jn |