The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-13

but as premier he would merely deal
with indicted criminals.
He has dealt with them. Bolo has
been executed. -Almercy, one Of the
worst of the lot, died a violent death
In prison, DuTal has just been SEN
fenced to- death and Caillaux and
Humbert, both = deputies, are
in prisoa with the strongest
possible prospect of being shot as
traitors. A whole raft Of smaller
treason ,mongers have received pris-
on terms. .. 3. = .
Clemenceau is doing what the for
mer governments seemed to find i'm
possible. He has adjourned politics.
And when I found that out I UNI
derstood why this man. the Tiger -
as he Is styled, is also called the
savior Of France. For France has
been cursed with politics and politi-
clans, and lit is no affront to the
most universally loved and admired
of all nations to make the admission.
l have no intention of trying to
explain the political parties Of
France, or the minute shades of
opinion that separate them. The
chamber of. deputies has a right, or
conservative a left, or radical, and a
center. But every one of the three
has right, left and center, and each
one of the subdivisions seems to
have. This explains why France. or
at least Paris. has more newspapers
than any city in the world.
. ~ Attacked All Parties.
Scores Of newspapers are displayed
on the news stands, and, there are
some that are not displayed at all,
but circulated none the less. Most
of these papers have only four pages
and some have only two. They are
supported not by subscription or
sales, much less by advertising. The
political group which each repre-
sents does the, supporting.
4 With all these warning. political
parties represented, in the chamber
Of deputies, it is a wonder that any
thing in the way of legislation is
effected. But the French people
managed very well, until the war.
Them it was time to call a truce
But no prime minister before Glenn
enceau was able to bring about a
truce. +.ig .e% 4s%7 nj
Clemenceau, who had been out of
office for some years, Numbered
away in his paper, "L'Homme Libre,"
the Free Man" excoriating, abus-
ing, calling down invectives on all
party leaders alike. The mildest
term he applied to President Poin-
care was Nero, The censor sup
pressed one, issue of the Free Man, :"
the headlines. Clemenceau changed
the name of his paper to. the Man
in Chains" The censor ignored him
for a time and he changed it again
TO the Man Less Chained"
+ Everybody read the paper, because
it was so brilliantly written, espe-
cially the two columns of invectiye
which ClemencealI signed every day.
Besides; it was a scandal. Nobody
was spared. The Tiger" respected
neither wealth nor. power.
poWned Sixteen Cabinets. 6
Things were at a serious crisis
in France all during the year 1917.
The war did not approach an end
There was a serious shortage Of fuel
Agricultural affairs were in a tangle.
Russia, which owed France vast
sums of money. had collapsed. Trai-
tors were abroad in the land While
the real France fought gloriously,
Immortality at Verdun, and at Ypres,
the politicians in the capital Wrangl-
ed the hours away.
People began to say 1--WE must
have a strong government. There
must be- unity. Who is the man to
give it to us?" One after another
man they tried, splendid men. Ri
bot. the diplomat, the grand old
aristocrat, who could talk Familiarity
with kings. the man who had made
the Franco Russian alliance. Pain
leVe. the intellectual one of the
greatest nathemat icians in Europe.
Other statesmen. One by one they
had fallen Clemeuceau was usually
responsible for their fall. He kept
after them until they got too unpop-
uIar to last He is said to have