Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-12-30 | Page 3 | French Chamber Stands by Premier

FRENCH CHAMBER STANDS BY PREMIER Clemenceau Refuses Demands De-mands by Critics for Release Re-lease of Older Soldiers. PARIS, Dec. 29. The debate on the bill authorizing the government to prepare lists of the men of the class of 1919, preparatory to calling them to the colors, was seized upon today by critics of Premier Clemenceau as an opening for aji attack ou tho subject of releasing the older soldiers. In the plainest language the premier refused to give any guaranty. Ho received the enthusiastic applause of the greater part of the deputies. The vote in tho chamber yesterday, M. Cjenienceau said, w-as a mandate to the government to carry on tho war and he asked the chamber to give him the means. General Petain, tho commander com-mander m chief, had asked for a certain number of men to carry on urgently needed work on cantonments behind the line. It was his purpose to detail to this work German prisoners, the Russians-who had been fighting in France until the time of the Russian overturn, 4i),000 men drawn from the auxiliary forces, and agriculturalists in the classes of 1890 and 1891 who would be called back for two months, inasmuch as there would be no farm work in January Janu-ary and February. If the chamber did not wish to have this work done, the premier continued, let it say so and lie would go. If the chamber knew of other resources, let it reveal them. "At a time when German divisions, whose number I cannot calculate, aro arriving ou our front from Russia, is it proper for vou to find fault about a few hundred men I need'.' '' M. Gle-nienceau Gle-nienceau demanded. "It' men from the rear are quartered at the front they must return to the front.'' The bill was adopted -l-o to 73.