Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-24
TIGER" WHO SAVED FRANCE
Georges ciemenceau, who Reached
What He Called the Goal Of His
Ambition In Restoring AIsaee.
Lorraine to Motherland

| ORANGES indomitable attitude through
out four years Of conflict that literally
"bled white" the republic was the reflection
OF that hardy figure who for more than a
| generation had borne the designation of
Stormy Petrel.' varied with such other
titles as the Tiger" the "Wrecker of Cab
inets' and half a score others of like sig
nifcance--Goorges Clcmcnceau.
| Twice premier. both times at critical
junctures in the national life. this remark
| able man represented the conscience as well
| as the iniexible courage of people he
| gave measure of devotion not paralleled
| by any of his contemporaries.
Thirty years old in 1871. when he pleaded
| with his countrymrn ITO bleed France
| white before surrendcring Alsace Lorraine
TO Germany, Clemenceau for forty seven
years famed the sacred flame Of pro
| tcst against Teuton domination Of these
provinces. and at the age of seventy seven.
on the eve of his retirement from the post
in which he shed luster upon his country
and its people, he dedicated the peace which
restores the lost children TO their mother.
"The redemption of AIsace Lorraine has
been the goal of my life says Clemenccau.
This reached, the Savior of France
which is among the many proud appeila-
tons he wore is about to retire from the
lofty places he honored
A S TIE elimination Of a career marked
n by innumerable incidents any one Of
which would have stamped him as one of
the most commanding figures of his cen.
fury, ClCmcnceau was in the Senate when
the war clouds broke. He became chair
man of the army committee and Joined the
Vivinni ministry. His criticism of the mis-.
takes of tho administration continued as
severe as ever. lie had established news
paper. L'Hommc Iibre (the Free Mani.
His journal was ordered suspended for eight
DAYS The next day the paper was issued
at Bordeaux under the name L'Homme En-.
chainc (the Man in Chains). Clemenceau
did not stop publication or criticism. His
paper was temporarily suspended several
times
The activity of the censor provoked the
wrath of the editor to such efforts that he
succeeded in having the censorship lifted
from political questions thus exposing him
self to storm of criticism after he became
Premier the second time. This in No
vcmhcr, 1917, when the Painleve ministry.
having fallen under an adverse vote of the
Chamber of Deputies, Clcmenccau was in
vitcd to form n cabinet. which he did with
such success that from that moment began
the final eradication of that "defcatist
poison which in the earlier days of the war
threatened to sap the vitality if it did not
utterly destroy the fighting spirit of France.
As PREMIER Of France Clemenccau.
"A who in his stormy career made and un-
mad" ministries, going into retirement him
self in 1909, when he was Oustcd from the
post after q clash with Delcasse, due to n
violent political quarrel. lost all sense of
partSanship. He thought only of victory
The veterans called him their confidence
barometer. AS war minister in his own
cabinet, he shaped events to unity the allied
command under Foch, and the Entente al
lance was thus tightened
But the miracle of his leadership cannot
be described His personality enlivened
tagging France. To every whine of his
adversaries he replied, "Je fails la guerre."
To every protest of the chamber he answer
ed : Il make war. | make war The vic
tory is to the side which lasts the last
quarter of an hour.
TNIIAT last sentence was characteristic OF
L Clemenceau's temperament-tenncity and
unflnching courage, the never give up
spirit that marked his whole career and was
never more plainly demonstrated than at the
Peace Conference, of which he was, by uni
versal consent made president.
He turned from war to peace with char
acteristic determination. eve want just
and strong peace, protecting the future
against the denominations of the past. There
can be no bargain between right and crime, "
he told the Senate on September IS, 1913.
HNLEMENCEAU at the Peace Conference,
" which he presided over at the age of
seventy seven, gave the impression of n
haggard face suddenly revealed from the
Surroundings of the grave. He was always
real stole. In the spring of 1918 he went to
a doctor and asked pointedly if he would
live six months.
Much more" responded the army
surgeon who examined him.
six months is enough he said with
relief.
Referring to the terms of the armistice
framed by the Allied Council, Clemenceau
the Germans: LET them apply to Foch
for terms.
THIS was the keynote of the remarkable
L speech of December 80. 1918. just be-
fore the opening Of the Peace Conference.
when Clemenceau said "There is an old
system of alliances called the balance of
power 1t seems to be condemned nova
days but if such balance had preceded
the war, if England, the United States.
France and Italy had agreed, say, that who
ever attacked one OF them attacked the
whole world, the war would not have
occurred"
Regarded by many as a direct blow at
the policies of President Wilson and David
Lloyd George, who had declared against the
balance of power. principle as an incentive
to war, Clemenceau, nevertheless. held
strongly to his opinion and it may well be
believed that the proposed Anglo French
American understanding which caused
furry during the Peace Conference proceed
ings, was the outcropping of the December
speech of the French premier.
GEORGES CLENIENCEAU'S character
" is as complex as his mental capacity.