Word: henriot
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Matter of fact the whole Leftist Cabinet of Premier Camille Chautemps had been lashed for four excruciating hours by Rightist Deputy Philippe Henriot who monopolized the Chamber tribune, made the most of the French right of free speech. To hear him rant, the whole Cabinet were accomplices of "Handsome Alexandra" Stavisky, the $30,000,000 Bayonne pawnshop Ponzi (TIME, Jan. 15, 22). Accuser Henriot was sure that the Government "murdered" Stavisky whose body was found by Secret Service agents weltering in his blood at the Alpine resort of Chamonix, apparently a suicide. But Accuser Henriot went further. "When the unmarried...
...Pachot could name them," cried Accuser Henriot. drawing out the suspense and naming one of the Secret Service agents investigating the Stavisky case. "Yes, Pachot could name those two and he would say they were de Monzie and Paul-Boncour...
Unable to defend himself, snowy-crested French Foreign Minister Joseph Paul-Boncour was at that moment in Geneva on League of Nations business, but Accuser Henriot got only so far as the Chamber lobby when he was set upon by Minister of Education de Monzie fairly boiling to avenge his honor. Fresh from bed, rheumatic M. de Monzie managed to leap upon the back of M. Henriot and they went down clawing as a dozen deputies of Left and Right pitched into a clothes-tearing tussle, pulled each-other's neckties, knocked off eyeglasses and compared each other...
...this welter emerged, as French tradition asserted itself, two seconds for each contestant who pulled them apart, sent for stenographic reports of what Accuser Henriot had said, and began to debate on a high chivalric plane whether there should be a duel. "It would be the first political duel since Clemenceau!" exclaimed bloodthirsty oldsters, delighted. "Just like old times! Remember how Clemenceau provoked Decassagnac to challenge him by walking up to Decassagnac in a cafe and stirring his coffee with his cane? Those were the times...
Meanwhile Minister de Monzie and Accuser Henriot had not yet fought their duel, but the Government grew so nervous as debate on the Stavisky scandal was resumed that 5,000 foot and mounted police were thrown around the Chamber of Deputies. Angry citizens resumed their anti-Government demonstrations, shouted hour after hour in the direction of the Chamber "Assassins! Thieves! Staviskys!" Royalist demonstrators shouting "Down with the Republic!" and "Long live the Due de Guise!" [the Bourbon pretender to the Throne of France who lives in Belgium] smashed windows, tore up paving stones which they hurled at the police...