Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-24

has been over here. He began with
the simple "Mr Chairman and then
in plain words and unaffected style
moved the selecticn of Premier Glenn
enceau as permanent chairman, taking
occasion TO pay a high tribute to the
subject of his speech and to France
He spoke for four minutes. after
which the interpreter rephrased it in
French.
President seems Thinner
As President Poincares speech was
of the war, President Wilson's was of
peace. That was my mental reaction
as the American president sat down,
his face marked by gravity. He
looked thinner than when he first
reached Paris, four weeks ago 1t is
small wonder for he has been under
heavy tension every moment since.
AS the interpreter concluded. Pre-
mier Lloyd George arose briskly and
snapped out his words terrier-like He
too made his talk a eulogy of Premier
Clemenceau' and timing himself with
the precision that comes TO veteran
speakers, he reached the end of his
speech in the same time that Presi-
dent Wilson did. While he spoke he
alternately held his arms akimbo and
2rasped his coat lapels a favorite
trick with English speakers. probably
due TO desire to turn M their coat
collars because of the cold halls they
usually find.
AS the verbal middleman reset the
Georgian phrases in colloouial
French, the first break in the gravity
came when he quoted the speaker as
referring to Premier Clemenceau as
a grand youth.
NO, no." said Premier lloyd
George leaning forward, II said grand
young man. and that's quite differ
ent.
The interpreter, amid smiles, made
the correction
Then the strongly marked face of
Baron Sonnino came before our eyes
as the Italian foreign minister arose
to add his support to the motion,
speaking gracefully and fluently in
French. As he ended his speech the
darkness was almost complete Sud
denly the twelve great crystal chande-
liers, marvellous in their detail and
beauty, broke into light and there
was to be heard sigh of gratitude,
as ii was relief to tired eyes.
Doing what in America is generally
avoided in parliamentary practice,
Premier Clemenceau put his own
name before the meeting and asked
for the hands. At the word. all of
them Shot up. and with a bow he
began his speech, the keynote of the
sessions,
1t was 4:0S o'clock and the flight of
time made him speak even more rap
idly than usual. He paused only long
enough to allow laughter to be regis
tered at Il satirical point regarding
Premier Lloyd Georges reference to
his age, and then plunged into his
theme. He is a finished orator. but
he scorns the more obvious tricks of
that trade. He had by far the finest
voice of the afternoon, ranging from
deep. organlike chest tones. to high,
sQueaky, nasal twang. used for
stressed effects. You could close your
eyes and in the course of five min
utes believe that three different men
had talked, the pitch and voice pro-
duction being so sharply differentiat-
ed. He too, spoke without notes.
Now and then he shot his gray gloved
bands forward or above him in en-
phasis.
AS he spoke. the impression Of
strength grew. 1t is a different sort
of strength from that President Will
son possesses. The Americana
strength grows from the principles
he holds, while the Frenchman S
springs from his own personality,
And somehow one found the thought
in mind that Premier Clemenceau' S
strength lay in retrospect. while
President Wilson's was in prospect
one strong in what he has done, the
other strong in what he hopes to DO.
Before he finished the premier re-
ferred to the program of the meetings,
calling attention to the plan of per-
hitting all who wish to submit briefs
on the three points scheduled for the
DAYS meetings Two of these sub
iects have been announced before,
namely: Responsibility of the authors
of the war and responsibility for the
crimes in the war, but tho third came
as surprise. and a pleasant one,
since it showed deep interest IN
social as well as political matters
The subject related to legislation re-
garding international labor and Will
tie up to the great socialist labor
meeting in Bernc the 27th OF tins
month.
Then Premier Clemcnceau, always
a consummate actor. treated himscll
to Just a shade of flourish in announc-
ing that the next session, on Monday,
would have at the very top of the
program the subject of the league OF
nations, which was the forecast IN
these dispatches several weeks ago
and which will affect the entire BODY
of treaty building.
At the close of the day there came
to quicken the jaded interest the
al. Il GsfNH al
macy ever received. when Premier
Clemenceau declared that because of
the pressure of business and the large
number of commissioners, the age old
fashion of each leaving cards upon all
tho others was to be abandoned. The
older diplomats at first looked star
tied and then relieved To them at
least new order had come indeed.