Premiers Leap

French premiers are proverbially supple in their politics, but last week three statesmen aged 66, 63, and 55 who have held the Premiership a total of seven times proved themselves also supple in their joints.

They had come to bid farwell to M. le President Gaston Doumergue as he left Paris for Marseilles (see p. 26). They were MM. Raymond Poincaire, Paul Painleve, and Edouard Herriot, now respectively Premier, War Minister and Minister of Public Instruction. The hour was 10:27 a.m., and they knew that the President's special train would not pull out until 10:30. Three minutes remained to kiss M. le President Gaston Doumergue goodbye.

Premier Poincare began. One-time Premiers Painleve and Herriot stood ready. Then the train started, three minutes early. . . .

Premier Poincare, 66, kissed M. le President hastily, rushed for the door, swung out, landed dexterously on the platform.

Onetime Premier Painleve, 63, pecked once the President's cheek, cried "An Revoir!" swung, landed catlike.

The train gained headway, and plump onetime Premier Herriot, 55, almost decided to leap out without kissing M. le President. He too is plump, would understand.

"Hurry!" cried President Doumergue. Came a suction-sound, "Zsoouk!" M. Herriot, his duty done, swung his large body out the door, urged his legs to a run, let go, lurched but did not fall.

"Au revoir, mes amis!" cried M. le President Gaston Doumergue, then drew in his head.