Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-13
B0U|LLON IS FRIEND
AS WELL AS critic
Attitude Of Brilliant French
man Toward America Ill.,
mined in an Interview.
BY HENRY }. SMITH.
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1919.

PARIS, France. September 10.-The
most spectacular member of parlia-
ment in French politics today is not
President Poincare. nor Premier
Clemenceau, nor Foreign Minister
Pichon. He is Franklin Bouillon,
whose impassioned speech in the
chamber of deputies opposing the
Versailles treaty still finds echoes.
Bouillon may be President of France
some day. Probably Bouillon will be,
or BRAND, if Clemenceau loses the
elections in October. But the predic-
tons of Bouillon's followers Of the ex-
IRENE left are doomed to fail. most
prophets say, as concerns this year.
1t was M. Bouillon who coined the
phrase widely repeated: I'VE are OBJ
tanning the minimum of peace at the
expense Of the maximum of anarchy"
1t was he who, to the accompaniment
Of mixed applause and groans, made
the reference to America that has been
seized upon by his critics and per-
haps misguided abroad. He took oc-
casion to remark that America made
much money out of the war, that its
people were disinclined to give up the
Monroe doctrine, and that President
Wilson, coming to Europe with the
best of intentions, had displayed
natural ignorance" concerning the de-
tails of European affairs. This called
.Herve in his paper. La Victoire, in
which he said:
"It would not take many such
speeches to cool the active sympathy
of our American friends. They hurled
themselves into this wholesale butch
cry with all their might. Today they
are opening a subscription of 500, 000.-
600 francs ($10O. 000.000) to aid our
devastated regions If our friends in
America are not told that this attack
is simply the personal opinion Of a
man conducting a campaign OF in
ternal politics against Premier Glenn
enceau. what fine idea they will
have of our gratitude"
! I went to see Franklin Bouillon to
discover what manner Of man dared
to lay rough hands on the delicate
texture Of Franco American friend
ship. He occupies handsome rooms
on a boulevard near the Seine. From
within a closed room came thunderous
laughter. 1t was the laughter of M.
Bouiilon, who was in conference with
political friends. At times desk was
dealt blows at to crush stone. Pres
emily in the doorway appeared a
swarthy, stalwart man of middle
height and middle age. He suggested
, Theodore Roosevelt in his strong
neck and shoulders and a little in
countenance. He suggests Roosevelt,
! too, in his machine gun speech. /
mentioned the Herve article, and it
needed only a mention.
! "Herve is fool" snapped M. Bouil-
lon.
| 1.-THE speech has been criticised on
similar grounds by Others" 1 sug-
gested.
| "They are FOOLS" was the blunt re-
ply. 'They fear the truth"
/ NJ. Bouillon took a breath and con-
! tinued:
! France condemns the treaty. Every
! soldier condemns it. The treaty gives
| France neither military guarantees
! nor adequate reparation. And still
| he interrupted himself with an abrupt
| gesture-"and still the treaty will be
| ratified by a huge majority"
| Then the chamber Will act directly
against the wishes of the people,"
suggested.
| "And what them"
Nothing except" another violent
gesture and he completed the SEN
|tence, 81 shall overturn the ministry
He spoke with the disdainful con-
| fidence of one who says Tomorrow
shall discharge my valet"
What he Said About America.
1.-THE truth itself will overturn the
ministry" he went on. THAT la why
they are afraid of it. But about my
attitude toward America? Didn't /
say in my speech that l sufficiently
understood the character of American
generosity to believe that when she
got the truth she would not LET Frame