The Washington herald., 1921-07-10
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE
TREATY,
Nv ANDRE TARDlEU.
CBobA~Merriu Coz

Andr. Tardieu, like Mr.. Lansing
was a plenipotentiary. Like nj
lansing he wrote many memoranoa
and reproduced them in his book on
the peace conference Here the like
ness. as far as the memoranda go,
ends Mr.. Lansing reproduced his TO
show that on the issues wherein c
and Mr.. Wilson differed, Mr.. Lans-
ing was right, and Mr.. Wilson not
only wrong but unwilling even to
give the memoranda any considera-
tion. NJ. Tardieu, on the other hand,
publishes his for the purpose OF
showing in the first place how i'm
nortant his memoranda were to his
chief. Premier Clemenceau, and sec
ondly how between them they were
able to save the peace for France IN
snits Of LLOYD George and Wilson.
1t is a personal book like Mr. Lans-
ing's. but Is also designed to serve
the purposes of French partlzah
politics. Tardieu is unquestionably
telling the truth about the treaty
but in a book of AIS pages it is OBJ
yiousIy impossible to tell all the
truth about all parts of the treaty.
The author, therefore, being required
TO make a selection, reasonably
enough chooses to tell those things
which Justify the policies of Clemen-
ceau in the formulation and execu-
tion of which NJ. Tardieu played no
inconsiderate part. There are French
poIiticians who are as firmly con-
WINGED and vehement in their asser-
tions that Clemenceau was twisted
about Wilson's fingers, as certain
Senators are that Wilson was twist
ed in turn about the fingers OF Gle
menceau, Lloyd George and Orlando.
In his book, Great Men and Great
Days" Stephane Lauzanne, editor Of
the Paris Matin, declares that Gle
menceau was an easy mark for sne
willy weIshman. and because of that
France got but little from the peace.
NJ. Tardieu endeavors to confute
these charges, and while he does not
disparage the American and British
representative on the Big Four, he
makes it clearly appear that Gle
menceau was the hero of the con-
ference
One question on which NJ. Gle
menceau's enemies think him to
have been cajoled and browbeaten
by Mr. Wilson and Mr.. Lloyd George
was the controversy over the left
bank of the Rhine. 1t was on this.
too, that Marshal Foch and the Tiger
disagreed decidedly. The comman-
der-in-chief refused to send the con-
vocation to the Germans after the
Observation-Disclosures had reached an
agreement en- this subject. and went
further and inspired an article in
lie Matin attacking the conditions
of the peace VI. Clemenceau, ac-
Cording to NJ. Tardieu. sent for the
marshal and explained to him the
difficulties his opposition was caus-
ing. The marshal was embarrassed
and silent Then the premier said to
him:
Come. you are sorry for all that,
aren't you?"
The marshal replied:
Il regret 1t with all my heart"
NJ. Clemenceau then begged him
not to permit himself to be used by
the papers and politicians, patted
him on the shoulder and said:
Look here; they are pulling your
leg. Don't let EN-"
"All right" answered the marshal:
Il will call of my days of war"
The incident was closed. but only
temporarily. for later in the confer
ence Marshal Foch gave public ex
preston to his disapproval.
NJ. Tardieu's book may be divided
into three parts: The events lead
ing up to the peace conference,
which include the writer's expert
ences as high commissioner to the
United States; the problems of the
conference. particularly those which
have been the cause Of political con-
troversy in France; and German
reparations. NJ Tardieu is chiefly
concerned with proving that the
treaty is just and right and that
Premier Clemenceau and his aides
were responsible for it's being so.
Clearly he would like also to per-
suade America to ratify the treaty.
He would convince those who have
been Influenced to criticize the
treaty by the Economic Conse-
quences of the Peace" that its au-
thor was uniformed and pro-Ger-
man. He attempts to dismiss Mr..
Keynes and all his works in a foot
note early in the book. but he is un-
able TO resist the temptation of pay
ing his respects to the English ex-
pert in almost every chapter. NJ.
Tardieu makes a convincing case for
his country and his party based on
hard, cold facts rather than on the
less tangible distractions which
have played such a great part in
discussions of the treaty. This book
does not. however. inspire one with
the conviction that the objects for
which many of US believed the war
was fought are the objects which
have been achieved.
ALICE AnAMC