Description:

Presidents French 0 - 0
French President Raymond Poincare accused of colluding with Jews and spies on the brink of World War I.

3pp ALS inscribed in black ink on unmarked cream stationery signed "R. Poincare" near bottom of third page. Letter is dated May 22, 1916 and addressed to an unknown recipient referred to as "my dear friend". In very fine condition, with expected light folds. A few discolored spots and unobtrusive staple imprints scattered throughout. Each page measures 5.125" x 8".

10 th President of the Third Republic Raymond Poincare (1860-1934) tells an unknown friend about a disturbing letter that he just received from right wing journalist and newspaper editor Urbain Gohier (1862-1951). "Since I have the pleasure of writing, permit me to [relate] that I received from M. Urbain Gohier a letter of which I understand nothing", Poincare begins mysteriously. He then elaborates that Gohier had accused him, the sitting president of the French republic, of nothing less than colluding with Jewish and foreign elements.

The President includes lengthy excerpts from Gohier's letter so that his correspondent can fully understand the journalist's accusations. According to Gohier, Poincare sanctioned the admission of a Jewish student named Gustave Levy into university in 1913 even though Levy had ties to a "master spy" named Jacob London and a double agent named "Baronne Heftles". Levy was "reintegrated into university to make him shut up", in the fighting words of the journalist. The President, extremely puzzled by Gohier's accusations, explains that he never held any opinion about the matter and that he "didn't know [Jacob London] before today".

Urbain Gohier was an inveterate conservative and anti-Semite, best known for fabricating The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in 1920. He was originally trained as a lawyer, but found a niche as journalist and newspaper editor who contributed to anti-Semitic, pro-royalist, and anti-military journals starting in the 1880s. In 1916, Gohier was serving as editor of an anti-Semitic periodical called Old France. Four years after leveling these accusations against the President, Gohier launched The Protocols, which purportedly exposed a Jewish plot to take over the world.

Raymond Poincare had gathered considerable political experience before his election to the French presidency in 1913, including his tenure as Prime Minister, Minister of Finances, and Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture to name a few. He was also accustomed to allegations of misconduct. In 1914, a leftist politician named Joseph Caillaux claimed that Poincare was secretly negotiating with the Vatican. Such scandals did not negatively affect Poincare's political career, as he was twice more elected to the French premiership after his seven-year-long presidency.

A very interesting wartime letter in which sitting French president Raymond Poincare rejects charges of Jewish favoritism and espionage!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000