Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-11-06
CHAPTER XXI.
The Bin Three in Paris.

This was the heroic period of the
conference: by reason both of the i'm
portance of the problems under dis
cusson and of the extraordinary IN
tensity of the effort put forth. From
March "a to May q, the whole treaty
was put into shape; territorial, finan-
cial. economic and colonial clauses
alike. Every morning and every after
noon, the four met together, usually
on the ground floor of the Hotel Bis
choffsheim. In the garden al Amerl-
can "doughboy" stood sentry, wearing
the insignia of the conference, white
scales on a blue ground. At other
times the meetings were held at the
ministry of war in NJ. Clemenceau S
dark and comfortless office. Habit
had created its own laws. In the after
noon each man took the same seat
he had occupied in the morning. Sir
Maurice Hankey, secretary Of the Bri-
tish war cabinet, and Professor Man
toux, head interpreter of the French
delegation, were the only others pres
ent. The plenipotentiaries and ex-
perts came from time to time. The
tone was conversational. Neither pomp
nor poise. Signor Orlando spoke but
little; Italy's interest in the conference
was far too much confined to the CUES
ton of Fiume, and her share In the
debates was too limited as a result.
1t resolved itself into three-cor-
nered conversation between Wilson,
Clemenceau and Lloyd-George = an
amazing contrast of the three most
widely different natures that it is pos
sible to conceive. Always sincere and
straightforward, these interviews were
at times almost tragic in their solemn
simplicity and would then relax into
something approaching gaiety when
agreement was in sight. History will
record with approval that even in the
most difficult hours the -four" always
spoke with truth. the whole truth and
nothing but the truth.
shared their like too closely to be
able to judge them. Who better than
/ knows their shortcomings? | have
no taste to blame them; for / saw them
give the very best of their great minds
to their task, and what more can one
ask? I have no right to praise them.
! shall but try to redress, in as few
words as may be, the wrong done by
the outrageous pen of a subordinate
and disgruntled employe. I shall brush
aside the legend that one of these three
men hoodwinked the others. In France
it has been said that Clemenceau was
the dupe of Wilson and of Lloyd
George; in the limited States that Will
son was the plA*thing of Lloyd George,
and in EnglandAfr. Kewnes has written
that Mr.. CIemenceau turned the trick
alone This childish and contradictory
explanation, convenient to politicians.
must be abandoned. The exaggerated
honor or the insult which it implies to
the three leaders must be repudiated
The truth is that from the first day
to the last, with deep desire to reach
agreement, the discussion proceeded
foot by foot. / have already explained
why.
The discussion between men whose
national and individual temperaments
were utterly opposed was naturally ex-
ceedingly keen. President Wilson dis
cussed like college professor criticiz-
ing thesis, sitting bolt upright in his
arm chair, inclining his head at times
towards his advisers, developing his
views with the abundant clearness of a
didacticT logician. Mr.. Lloyd George
argued like sharp shooter, with sud-
den bursts of cordial approval and
equally frequent gusts of anger, with
wealth of brilliant imagination and
copious historical "reminiscences clasp
ing his knee in his hands, he sat near
the fireplace, wrapped in the utmost
indifference to technical arguments, ir-
resistibly attracted to unlocked for
solutions, but dazzling with eloquence
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