Arizona republican., 1919-01-19
M. CLEMENCEAU

u.
 You will not expect me to keep silence after what the two eminent statesmen, who have just spoken. have said l cannot help expressing my great, my profound gratitude to the it. iustrious president of the United States to the prime minister of Great Britain and to Baron Sonnino for the words I have just heard from their lips.
 Long ago, when l was young. as Mr- Lloyd George has recalled to you, when l was travelling in America and Tn England, I always heard the French reproached for an excess of courtesy which sometimes went beyond the truth. AS I listened to the American statesman and to the English states man, l wondered whether they had not caught in Paris our national disease of courtesy. Nevertheless, gentlemen, | must say that my election is neces- sarily due to the old international tra- dition of courtesy to the country which has the honor to receive the peace conference in it's capital.
 I wish also to say that this testi- mony of friendship, if they will allow to me the word. on the part of Presi- dent Wilson and Mir. Lloyd George in particular, has touched me deeply, be- cause I see in it 8 new strength for all three of us to accomplish, with the cooperation of the entire conference. the arduous work which is entrusted to us l gather from it a new confidence in the success of our efforts.
 President Wilson has special au- thority to say that this is the first time in fact, that the world has ever seen assembled together a delegation of all the civilized nations of the earth.
 The greater the bloody catastrophe which has devastated and ruined one Of the richest parts of France, the greater and more splendid must be the reparation-not only the material rep aration, the vulgar reparation-if I dare speak so, which is due all of us. but the higher and nobler reparation of the new institution which we will try to establish, in order that nations may at length escape from the fatal embrace of ruinous wars, which de- i stroy everything, heap up ruins, ter rorize the populace and prevent them from going freely about their work for fear of enemies which may rise up from one day to the next
 Tt is st great. splendid and noble ambition which has come to all of us It is desirable that success should crown our efforts. This cannot take place unless we all have firmly fixed and clearly determined ideas on what we wish to do.
 T said in the chamber q few days ago, and I wish to repeat here, that success is not possible unless we re- main firmly united. We have come together as friends; we must leave this hall as friends.
 That. gentlemen, is the first thought that comes to me. All else must be subordinared to the necessity of a closer and closer union among the na- tions who have taken part in this great war, and to the necessity of remaining friends. For the league of nations is here. It is yourself. It is for you to make it live and to make it live we must have it really in our hearts.
 As I told President Wilson a few days ago, there is no sacrifice that I am not willing to make, in order to accomplish this, and I do not doubt that you all have the same sentiments. We will make these sacrifices, but on the condition that we endeavor inn partially to coneiliate interests appar- ently contradictory, on the higher plane of greater, happier and better humanity.
 That. gentlemen. is what I had to say to you I am touched beyond words at the evidence of good will and friendship which you show me
 'The programme of this conference has been laid down by President Will son. It is no longer the peace of a more or less vast territory, no longer the peace of continents: it is the peace of nations that is to be made. This programme is sufficient in itself There is no superfluous word. Let us try to act swiftly and well.'