The Washington herald., 1919-01-19
WILSON NOMINATES
CLEMENCEAU HEAD
PEACE CONFERENCE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE,

tADtCltu On cl the
pire delegates, to support the motion OF
President Wilson. / do so. for the
reason which he has so Neloquently
given expression to as tribute to the
man. When / was a school boy, Mr..
Clemenceau was a compelling and
conscious figure in the politics of his
native land and his fame had extend
ed far beyond the bounds of France.
Were it not for that undoubted fact,
Mr.. President, 1 should have treated
as legend the common report of
your years.
Il have attended many conferences
with Mr.. Clemenceau, and in them all,
the most vigorous, the most endur-
ing and the most youthful figure there
has been that of Mr.. Clemenceau. He
has had the youthfulness, he has had
the hopefulness and fearlessness of
youth.
He is indeed the grand young man
of France, and 1 am proud to stand
here to propose that he should take
the chair in this great conference that
is to settle the peace of the world. 1
know of none better qualified, or as
well qualified, to occupy this chair as
Mr.. Ciemenceau. And speak from
my experience in its claim. He and
l have not always agreed. We have
very often agreed. We have some
times disagreed and we have always
expressed our disagreementh very en-
phatically because We have ourselves.
But although there will be delays
and inevitable delays in the signing
of peace, due to the inherent diff
culties of what we have to settle.
will guarantee from my knowledge OF
Mr.. CIemenceau that there will be no
waste Of time. And that is important
World Hungers for Peace.
The world is thirsting and hunger
ing for peace. There are millions of
people who want to get back to the
world work of peace. And the fact
that Mr.. Clemenceau is in the chair
will be proof that they will get there
without any delays which are due to
anything except difficulties which are
essential in what we have to perform.
Il have another reason. During
the dark days We have passed
through, his courage, his unfailing
courage. his untiring energy, his in
spiration, helped the allies through to
triumph. and l know of no one to
whom that victory is more attribut-
able than to the man who sits in this
chair. In his own person more than
any living man he represents the
heroism, he represents the genius of
the indOmitable people of his land.
And for these reasons, I count it
privilege that I should be expected
to second this motion"
Premier CIemcnceau Replies.
Premier Clemonceau answered as
follows:
..Vo,, r,-o,.r1 ~ -,r.. - . ,---
silence after what the two eminent
statesmen who have just spoken have
said. | cannot help expressing my
great, my profound gratitude to the
illustrious President of the United
states. TO the prime minister of Great
Britain and - Baron Sonnino, for the
words that l have just heard from
their lips. Long ago. when l was
yOung, as Mr.. Lloyd George has re-
called to you. when l was travelling
i'm America and in England. l always
n"ard the French reproached for an
Excess of courtesy, which sometimes
went beyond the truth. As I listened
10 the American statesman and to
the English statesman. l wondered
whether they had not caught in
Paris our national disease Of cour-
tesy.
Nevertheless. gentlemen, I must
say that my election is necessarily
due to the old international tradi-
ton of courtesy to the country
which has the honor to receive the
Peace Conference in its capital. I
wish also to say that this testi-
mOnial of friendship. if they will al
low to me the word, on the part of
President Wilson and of Mr.. Lloyd
George. in particular. has touched
me deeply. because l see in it a new
strength for all three of us to ac-
COmplish with the corporation of
the entire conference the drduous
work which is entrusted to US. l
gather from it a new confidence in
the success of our efforts. President
Wilson has special authority to say
that this is the first time. in fact,
that the world has ever seen assem-
bIed together a delegation of all the
civilized nations of the earth.
Full Reparntion for Ruin.
The greater has been the bloody
catastrophe which has devastated and
ruined one of the richest parts of
France. the greater and more splendid
must be the TepaTation. not only the
material reparation. the vulgar repa-
ration, if l 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 that
nations may at length escape from
the fatal embrace OF ruinous wars
which destroy everything. heap up
ruin, terTOrize the popuIaCe and pre-
vent them from going freely about
81 Co.
may rise up from one day to the next.
1T is a great. splendid and noble
ambition. which has come to all OF US
1t is desirable that success should
crown our efforts. This cannot take
place unless we have all firmly fixed
and clearly determined ideas on what
we wish to do. ] said in the chamber
a few dayt ago, and I wish to repeat
here, success is not possible unless we
remain 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 subordinated to the neces-
sity OF a closer and closer union
among the nations who have taken
part in this great war. and the neces-
sity of remaining friends. for the
league of nations is here; ii is our
selves; it is for you to make it live.
and to make it live we must have it
really in our hearts.
As | told President Wilson a few
days ago, there is no sacrifice that l
am not willing to make TO accomplish
this, and I do not doubt that you all
have the same sentiment in the ma
ture We will make these sacrifices.
hrrf IN tho ennHitfnr, that W. nn16aVnfs
impartially to conCiliate interests ap-
Lat h irrhn