New-York tribune., 1919-12-01

! tial position he held in the last a
sincere friend Of the United States.
Tardieu can be counted upon TO do
everything to preserve Franco-Ameri-
can friendship.
NJ Jonnart, until recently Governor
General of Algeria and now Minister
for the Devastated Regions, is third
possibility He is man of great
ability, distinguished service and viii
be a power in the next ministry, and
he may head it.
Had the election been less favorable
to Clemenceau, BRAND would have un
questionably returned to power. While
the Peace Conference was still occu
pied with the terms Of settlement with
Germany a campaign on behalf of
BRAND was launched by the critics Of
Clemcnccau and particularly by the
opponents of that policy which was
advocated by Tardieu, who was pre-
pared to make great concessions to
President Wilson in order to ins..re
American aid.
BRAND is much like Lloyd George in
many respects, and his political history,
Ike that Of George, is the story Of a
lifelong pilgrimage from left to right,
that is, from the extreme Of radicalism
to something approaching that of reac-
tion. Like George, a brilliant orator.
man of great political skill. he
nevertheless lacks the iron, or rather
he polished steel, Of Clenenceau, and
after holding Office for period recls-
oned long in French parliamentary
annals, he not unwillingly gave way to
Ribot in the spring of 1917, just be
fore the Nivelle fasco.
Americans viii note with interest
the defeat Of Franklin Bouillon, who
succeeded to the leadership of Gail
laux's party when that chief lost infu-
ence, but he is not to be identified with
Caillaux's treason. Still, Franklin
Bouillon was at all times bitter
spoken critic of the Treaty of Yer
sailles. Americans know him because
of his visit to this coun X during the
war
The defeat OF Paul Painleve removes
one of the bravest and saddest figures
in French public life Minister OF War
both in the BRAND and the Rbot
cabinets, responsi BILE for the removal
Of Nivelle, which saved the French
army and for the exile of Constantine
e |, IL,
Allies, the greatest mathematician in
France and one of the finest spirits, he
lacks political arts and suffers from
having failed where only Clemenceau
could succeed.
By contrast the defeat Of General
Sarrail is wholesome thing. Sarrail
was political general who used his
political influence to dangerous ends.
Jofre sent him to Salonica to get rid
of him, and his record there was not
attractive. In the end Clemenceau,
who feared nothing, recalled him and
sent first Guillemat and then Franchet
d'Esperey to organize and deliver the
battle which broke German power in
Clemenceau's victory is real con-
tribution to world order and stability
For France it not improbably means
the beginning of a new political era
Most OF the men who belong to the
period Immediately following the de
feat of 1870 have vanished; Clemen-
ceau himself is almost the last link
with 'the terrible year" New men
are now coming on, young men, who
will be Influenced not by the bitter
memories of national diminution and
disaster, but by the consciousness of
victory and the confidence which comes
from the elimination Of the German
menace
For half century French legisla-
lures have lived under the memory Of
defeat and the threat of German
aggression. The French Chamber. too
has been filled with men whose youth
had been marked by the hopelessness
born of defeat and its consequences.
With new men and better memories.
different French spirit is bound to be
disclosed.
Copyright. 1919. by Tho McClur. News,
paper Syndicate)