Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
CLE|MENCEAUU URGES
MR.. WILSON'S PLAN
"Let Us Act Swiftly and
WE'LL" French Premier
Tells Peace Conferees.
LLOYD GEORGES ADDRESS

| PARIS. January 1S.-Premier Glenn
enceau's response to President Will
sons speech nominating him as chair
man of the peace conference, and the
addresses Of Mr.. Lloyd George and
Baron Sonnino was as follows:
You would not expect me to keen
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 to Baron Sonnino for the
words 1 have just heard from their
lips.
Long ago. when [ was young. as
Mr.. Lloyd George has recalled to you,
when [ was travelling in America and
in England j always heard the
French reproached for an excess of
courtesy, which sometimes went be-
yond the truth. AS / listened to the
American statesman and to the Eng
lish statesman l wondered whether
they had not caught in Paris our ma
/ tional disease of courtesy. Neverthe
less, gentlemen, I must say that my
election is necessarily due to the old
international tradition of courtesy to
the country which has the honor to
receive the peace conference in its
capital.
Is Deeply Touched.
II 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 Mr.. Lloyd George
in particular, has touched me deeply,
because / see in 1t a new strength
for all three of us to accomplish, with
the cooperation of the entire con-
ference, the arduouS work which is
intrusted 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 delega-
tion of all the civilized nations of the
earth.
The greater the bloody catastrophe
winch has devastated and ruined one
of the richest parts of France, the
greater and more splendid must be
the reparation-not only the material
reparation, the vulgar reparation, If
dare speak SO. which is due all of
us, but the higher and nobler repara-
will try to establish, in order that
nations may at length escape from the
fatal embrace of ruinous wars, which
destroy everything. heap up ruins.
terrorize 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.
A Noble Ambition.
1T is u great, splendid and noble
am bition which has come to all of us.
crown our efforts. This cannot take
place unless we all have firmly fixed
and clearly determined ideas on what
we wish to do.
II said in the chamber a few days
ago. and | wish to repeat here, that
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 subordinated to the neces-
sity of closer and closer union
among the nations who have taken
part in this great war and to the ne
cessity of remaining friends. For the
league of nations is here. 1t is your
self. 1t is for you to make 1t live,
and to make it live we must have it
really in our hearts.
Urges Cancellations.
CAS- I told President Wilson few
days ago, there is no sacrifice that
1 am not willing to make in order to
! accomplish this, and l do not doubt
that you all have the same sentiment.
We will make these sacrifices, but on
the condition that we endeavor i'm
partially to conciliate interests ap-
parently contradictory. on the higher
plane of greater, happ's r and better
humanity.
"That, gentlemen. is what had to
say to you. I am touched beyond
words at the evidence of good will
and friendship which you show me.
The program of this conference
Wilson. 1t is no longer the peace
of more or less vast territory, no
longer the peace of continents; it is
the peace of nations that is to be
made. This program is sufficient in
itself. There is no superf1uous word.
Let us try to act swiftly and we'll
Lloyd Georges Address.
Following is the address of the
British prime minister, Mr.. Lloyd
George:
.I count it not merely a pleasure,
but a great privilege that / should be
eNpected on behalf of the British en-
pire delegates, to support the motion
of President Wilson. do so for this
reason which he has so eloQuently
given expression to, as a tribute to
the man. When I was a schoolboy
Mr.. CIemenceau was a compelling and
a conspicuous figure in the politics
!, of his native land. and his fame had
extended far beyond the bounds of
France.
Were it not for that undoubted
fact, Mr President I should have
treated as legend the common re-
port of your years. have attended
many conferences with Mr.. Clemen
ceau, and in them all the most vigor-
Gus. the most enduring and the most
youthful figure there has been that
! of Mr. C1emenceau. He has had the
youthfulness, he has had the hopeful
ness and the fearlessness of youth
He is indeed the grand young man Of