The Washington herald., 1919-02-17

, factor of the French delegation. the
battler of the old and the new
school, who might play equally
well a part in the Congress OF
Vienna and a part in the world
Peace Conference OF 1919.
Tnrdieu Polished Diplomat.
But a glance down one of the long
tables cannot fail to spy Andre Tar
dieu, the young Frenchman, who did
his bit as soldier at the front and
| who then turned about to do bigger
bit. Tardieu is the polished diplo-
matist, the high commissioner of
Franco-American affairs. and in this
1 position a sort of liaison officer be-
tween the American people and the
| French.
Further inspection of both tables is
interesting, but the men appear to be
dwarfed in comparison with the gi-
gantic personalities who sit az "un-
crowned kings" at the far end of the
room. There are the japanese dele
gates, quiet, unobtrusive little men,
one of whom drums his fingers on the
table while his corfsrees adopt rigid
attitudes of respect and attention.
There, too. are the Italian plenipo-
enthusiastically Signor Orlando and
Earon Connino-the latter a sombre
man, half Jew, half Welsh by birth,
who has seen much of the world. made
many enemies in his own country by
his stern and uncompromising moves
but who preserves the respect OF all
of his countrymen by his fiery loyalty
to Italy.
VeniseIos Lead. Greeks.
A little farther on are the Belgian
delegates, OF whom Paul Hymans is
the foremost. Their faces reflect the
interest they take in everything. and
also reflect the sorrow that has been
their country's unhappy lot in the
past four years. The same Is true of
the Serbian commissioners, who mind
ful OF a great. new state, Jugo-Sla-
via, are also mindful of the ups and
downs of a peace conference in which
the destipies of the entire world are
under discussion.
NJ. Vcnizelos is the trump card"
of the Grecian commission. When he
arises to talk he has the ear of the
entire conference. for the memory of
his triumps on the Island of Crete
is still vivid, and more vivid is the
memory of the fact that 1t was Veni-
zelos who paved the way, by shrewd
craftsmanship. for the retirement of
Constantine, a gentleman whose heart
once responded to the tune Of
"Deutchland Ueber Allies"
The Brazilian delegates-three in
number-are the novices of the con-
ference, but mindful of the ap-
probation shown their country by
the big five" which awarded their
al
low in rapid order the men from
CzeCho- -Slovakia. anxious for a
speedy termination OF the confer
ence so that Mazaryk. the one-time
blacksmith's apprentice. later n pro-
fessor and finally a politician. may
demonstrate his theories OF govern
ment on a new and fertile soil,
fertile because OF centuries OF op-
preston on the part of the Haps-
burgs.
The Portuguese Commissioner
Egas Moniz, sits idly by. his
thoughts far away from the Peace
Conference.
Undoubtedly the days doings in
his own Country-wherc Republic
ans and Monarchists are striving for
ascendancy-are of more import
anCc to him than the deliberations
of any peace conference. for the
next day may see Sig. Moniz minus
not only his position as peace pleni-
potentiary. but his portfolio as for
eign minister.
From Fnr-on Places.
And then there are many others.
from tiny nations and tiny kingdoms,
who are grateful for the card which
admitted them to the now sacred
clock chamber but who spend their
| time gazing at the marble cherubim,
who do their graceful best to demon
strate the fact that their plump little
arms are the only things which keep
| the ceiling from falling down and
obliterating the entire assembly.
These delegates from far-ofr places
| sit In rapt attention whenever Presi-
dent Wilson. CIemenceau or LLOYD
George has the floor. but this is also
the attitude of those marble cherubim
whose faces arc in the general direc-
ton of tho leaders of the three
greatest powers"
And when all is said and done and
| all the delegates-big and littIe-have
| filed out of the hall of the clock and
down the stairs and into the automo-
biles. attention once more. for the
J forthcoming week at least, is focused
on what the Big Five wishes to
let the world know of what it is do
ing, for the one unescapable fact OF
the Peace Conference is the reaIiza-
tion that the big Five" constitute
the Peace Conference