Evening star., 1919-04-15
Reduction of Terms sketched.

There was then panic. In this panic
there were at least signs which SEEM
ed to indiate that Lloyd George and
MIR. Wilson were agreed in a policy
which consisted in reducing the terms
which had been sketched, so far as
Germany was concerned, in the hope
of persuading Germany to sign. An
off1ial commission was sent to Hun
gary and semi official or unofficial
delegates were dispatched to Russia,
with the apparent purpose of seeking
to find a basis for a peace between
sented at Paris.
The result was almost instantane-
Gus. The French had not yet re-
ceived the judgment Of the peace
conference on any of the great ques-
tions which were for them a mat
settlement of the Rhine frontier as
a military question, of the Saar coal
region as an economic question, Of
indemnities and reparations as a
financial question and, rightly or
wrongly. the French concluded that
their interests were being sacrificed
now both by America and by Britain
to the desire to get prompt peace
with the Germans and to effect at
least a truce with bolshevism. AS a
result. there was immediate and in
conceivably strong French reaction
anu pTOteSt, d DltIcTHoSS against DOIn
the United States and Great Britain
which grew out Of the feeling that
France. after her terrible sacrifices,
was being abandoned.
Reaction in Great Britain.
French unrest reacted almost imme-
diately in Great Britain. Lloyd George
had come to power once more in the
recent election in which he had pledged
himself to make a strong peace against
Germany. by which Germany would be
made to pay the costs of the war.
British conservative members of par
Lament. British conservative journals
and at least very large section of Brit
ish public opinion now believed that
Mr.. Lloyd George was engaged in
making an easy peace for Germany
paying the costs Of the war. and they
recognized that as a result OF the
progress of events in Paris, France
was rapidly becoming alienated from
Great Britain. and the allience which
had saved the world from sGermanism
was cracking.
ThereUpon there. was immediate
storm in Great Britain, and every sort
of emphatic notice came to Lloyd
George in Paris that he must change
his policy. that he must restore the
understanding between Great Britain
claims. and that he must drop even
the appearance Of willingness to deal
with bolshevism.
To this storm, Lloyd George bowed.
He had been carrying on a bitter and
unwise quarrel with the French jour-
nalists' which had eliminated in a
threat to take the conference away
from Paris. Almost overnight, he
shifted his course. began issuing in.
terviews praising France and pro-
claiming British solidarity with
France. advocating. in the council Of
four, French demands which he had
hitherto looked upon at least coldly.
Clemenceau's Situation.
In the meantime. in France. similar
reactions had led to an outburst in
the chamber OF deputies and later to
a declaration in the French senate.
The French press began to break
away from the ironclad censorship
which had held them to protest vio-
lently against the seeming willing
ness Of the government to sacrifice
French interests to foreign friend
ships, and Clemenceau found himself
face to face with a national reaction
against further surrender to the
United States, or yielding to Great
Britain, which it was not possible to
let go unheeded.
1t is fair to say that Clemenceau
had at no time sacrificed French in
terests. but that up to that moment
he had found himself powerless to
achieve anything for France in the
presence of Anglo-American opposi-
tion in the council Of four which was
supported by Italy. When LLOYD
George decided to bow to the will Of
the British parliament and British
public opinion. he not only made pub
lie statements supporting France and
declarations in the council Of four in