The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-17
Word Picture Of Gathering
OF Worlds Brainy Leaders

BY JAY Jerome Wiliiarnx.

By jay Jerome Williams
Paris. Feb. 1.-THE Saturday
afternoon" sessions OF the peace con-
ference have been in progress long
enough for one TO obtain birds
eye" view of the chief plenipoten-
iiaries, and said birds eye" view
t ~ BE e =. i{s s,.'i X s$
/ treat" ''F '
When all the automobiles have
drawn up before the Quai d'Orsay and
! discharged their distinguished pas
, sengcrs, and when the clock in the
famous and ornate clock chamber
depicts the hands at the hour OF
three. practically all OF the great men
. of the present age have assent ied in
I their respective places and taken their
respective poses 70, The afternoons
{ labor. or course. the Saturday ses-
sions are commonly known as the
''oratoricai field days" wherein the
delegates give vent 10 the higher
ideals which the big five" have out
lined In secret sessions during the
week. Nevertheless. they afford
'-close-ups" of the plenipotentiarie
az the associated powers and therein
they are interesting.
The picture is nearly always the
same. The broad table at the far end
OF the room Is, geographically speak
ing. the most important for beside it
are seated the delegates OF the chief
which spread along the length of the
room are grsced by the representa-
I tves of the smaller nations.
Great Men Together.
The far end" table always has had
President Wilson to the right of
Premier Clcmenceau and Lloyd
George. the British premier at his
hination which history will term one
of the strongest of all times-can not
! escape being the cynosure of all eyes.
The pastures they adopt are nat
ural, natural because the sessions are
usually long enough to preclude any
attempt at pose. So being natural
one was able to see Woodrow Wilson,
back in his chair. sometimes appear
ifg interested. sometimes plainly
bored. and sometimes with touch
of ennui-this time being when a
fiorid orator, speaking French at
gait too rapid for the president to un-
derstand holds the floor for an ex-
tended period.
Then again. and THIS IL a typical
statesmanlike pose, the president
would bury his face in his hands and
listen in rapt attention when the in
terpreter of the Conference French
Lieutenant who is postmaster In
the art OF observation-disclosures with
fervid. a speech in English, the same
speech in French being delivered
perhaps in a monotonous monotone
by its original orator.
At times the president turned to
! Premier Clemenceau and made a re-
mark in an undertone. On some OF
/, these occasions the Tiger of
}r~aY 1rssF IA nd
The table. let loose a peal of laughter,
and incidentally caused one 30 won
, Ter whether or not Woodrow Wilson
! is a humorist-
' Cemerccmu's Poses
M. C,emenceau's pose a. general
thing however. Is as different as are
: the elements. One minute ne with
give profound attention to what Is
being said, propning his wise old
!. head in has hands. looking through
/ half closed eyelids. and with his
. white walrus moustache acting as a
" great piece of camourfage as far rs
y the movements OF his lips are con-
: carned. Then. an instant later. he
has been the picture of animation,
D despite his seventy-seven years, pop
ping from President Wilson's left ear
to Lloyd Georges right ear. and
I keeping both OF those gentlemen
= busy. listening to him. At other times
albeit a most susceptible repose. for q
second later may see him In this hole
OF tirebrand. barking forth q verit-
able stream of language. sometimes
in French and sometimes In English
David LloydGeorge appeared to be
- hesS natured of the famous trtum-
j virate. lie adopted an easy. almost
constantiy to Bonar-Law at his left
and his face wears the amusing half
tolerant look OF man whose
= thoughts. If spoken, might be: We'll
o This is the public show; but lets hurry
n Il up. for we have real business t.
h do when we set together aftel
:, awhile
a At President Wilson's right sat the
II other members of the American dele
y MISUNDERSTANDING of State Lansing
who is constant auditor Of the
q whispered utterances OF his chief
- Colonel House. who sits quietly and
~ by external appearances might bt
: taken for a japanese delegate, mas
4 much KS he secs ali. hears all. un'
- derstands all. and says nothing: Cen
. drai Bliss. the rugged old war horse
endowed with more than the usua
amount of 'horse sense and finally
!, The secretaries and stenographers at
!. tached to the American mission.
Engiand's Best.
/. At Lloyd Georges left is England,
: best timber First is Bonor-IAw. tht
cold. calculating statesmen. who's
knowledge Of business is equal to hi,
O knowledge Of diplomacy. and who
Il therefore, II doubly valuable ut . con
d ference which PREPARATION. indem
MITIGATION and the like are prominent
= topics. Then there "a Barnes. labor
j. Representative. who jumped into poll
n tics by walioping the man to hi:
: right Bonar-Law-he's seventy year,
d old~-but he combines the beauties o,
- la retrospective mind with those of q
" mind able to peer into the future and
y 20 foresee what 1t holds FOR humanity
u Messrs barnes and Bonar-LAw m6,
= have been political enemies thirteen
years ago, but there's an "ententt
:. tcordiale" between them now.
Clemenceau. the tiger is the onl,
: lore OF Frances delegates at the "fal
!, end" table, and there he reveals THU
:, true poshion--that OF tho dominAtinl
J. factor OF the French delegation. tn
: iseri-aged and modern two-fisted o.
a the old and the new school. WHIT
a might play equally well part In tn
! ~