The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-18

Uemenceau the Big Cum" of French Politics
By ERAMk H. sLMoNDs. Author Of era aREAr. wAR,v "TAEY sAALk NOT PASS"
BY FRANK n. siMoI

Nearly three years age, at the mo-
ment of the German attack upon Yer
dun. a London friend Of mine fur
nished me with a letter Of introduce
ton TO M. Georges ~Clemenceau, then
holding no other political position than
n member of the French senate, but
since become the president Of the
council, the leader OF the French ma
ton and the savior alike OF France
and Of the allied cause, But even In
the Verdun period he a as he has
been for at least a quarter of q CEN
fury, the most interesting OF French
public mah and, through his
paper, he was the single ~outspoken
critic of allies mistakes n the cham
pion Of vigorous and concerted action
against tho common enemy.
At the moment when | was in Paris
no mar ventured even to hint that
C%lemenceau might succeed to the post
then held by BRAND. His vigor n
his energy were everywhere conceded,
but there was IA general lack Of CON
fidence growing out Of the Incidents
~ the statesman's long history OF 20
litical battle. He was in that now
forgotten time a lonely, II splendid,
figure. France vas not yet face to
face with defeat, as was the case two
years later; the Verdun episode, which
was to remove ,loffre and bring about
the ultimate fall of BRAND, was only
beginning and the war, although al
ready seeming long, had not yet come
to appear mtermirable.
SO great has been the transforma-
ton since 1916, SO complete the tri-
umph of Clemenceau, that | have
thought my notes Of my interview of
that time, revealing as they do the
great man, already consciously meas
| urinC hinzalf for tho tuEl which un .
to come, might have contemporary in
terest, and | here present my notes
made at the time, but never before
published, for obvious eason To them
| add only the further explanation that
| came to Paris from London, bringing
a letter OF introduction which | had
been assured In the British capital
would open the way for me.
Accordingly, when l reached Paris,
a few days later. | sent to Senator
Clemenceau a letter which contained
the necessary message. Two hours
later received an invitation to cal
upon the senator at his home, s Rue
Franklin. the next morning at II
o'clock.
Rue Franklin is that relatively OBJ.
scure street which starts somewhat
grandiosely at the Trocadero, to en-
In the maze Of streets which come on
Of Passy, once the home Of Benjamin
y loNNAAht NNNliiVAtNV1t . iOhcVi khaAN
ed by the inevitable courtyard an'
blank wall. extends southwark to tn,
next street gives II broad openini
for sunlight from the south; and |
) was in his study, illuminated by tn
March sun. which in Paris mean
' spring, that Clemenceau received me
BEFORE l went to him my Frenc.
+, friends had warned me. One Is Away
: warned OF Clemenceau. HE will te
, YOU that the Germans are still a
Noyon,'" was one admonition, citin
the sentence that almost daily appeare
IN C~lemenoeau's newspaper L,Homm
: Hnchaine. until At last the German
left Noyon and Clemenoeau came I
l power, HE will criticize America, h
, will say something terrible, He Away
does. Bewarel' This was an even MOI
{ frequent warning In point OF fact h
did neither, but this is anticipating,
Leading me down n long and dust
p hallway, an old sergeant ushered n
- into Clemenceau's study, tho room
n which | had heard no much, and Their
seated at the wonderful desk, whic
Is part Of the stage properties OF pt
litical Paris, sat Clemenceau, For Il
moment the desk seemed even MOI
huge circular desk. shaped like Il
5 emplacement Of a heavy gun, with lol
sides stretching backward as II
protect the gunner from flank fir
And as he rose from his chair to gre
the, Clemenceau seemed almost like OF
OF the short howitxers rising to d
!, discharge
Y / hsdGNxpected to see an old ma
d for Senator Clemenceau Is well pa
=. the 70 mark; instead saw a mi
l. whose first motions suggested the e
+, ergy and force Of SO. | had expect
to see q stern, even bitter face, b
instead 1t was the smiling face Of o
who welcomed n friendly guest. r
n first Impression was Of energy, the Sc
ond Of courtesy.
'o when | had sat down he retook !
e place at the desk. at the gun emplac
=. ment, for the figure il moro than
te figure. From behind that breastwo
"A he daily homharded Paris, France, mi
w istries and generals with those artic
l. which had overset many ministries n
we're. in a later time, to- overset I
Mt last, before he came back to power,
a.. And as he sat down again, NJ. c
~ menceau placed upon his bald head G
yh Of the familiar soldiers fatigue ca
well pushed back on his forehead, and
gave him a most amazing appearan
The enemies OF Clemenceau-and he !
v, spent n lifetime collecting them-y
| toll you that he Is a Mongolian, n
he represents the survival OF some :
,u Client Tartar Invader of prehisto
France. This is probably a mere
geud, and yet, Enthusiastically, there
about the man the suggestion Of
oriental, something about the h
80 cheek bones, the deep set eyes "
IT their enormous gray eyebrows, VIII
IA suggests, not the Oriental we know
-" America, outside Of Washington,
en- the Oriental of high rank and equs
unmistakable intelligence.
Yet cap and desk, n almost FAINT