The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-13

cred as whole.
 Misfortune Happens
 But a misfortune has happened through no fault of Frances. The Franco British treaty was approved by the House of Commons. Not so the American treaty which went down in the defeat of the treaty of Versailles by the Senate in Washing ton. The treaty of Versailles lacked six votes for ratifca ton. The treaty of guarante, though favorably re- ported by the comml lssions, was not even discussed; so that under Article 2, which provides that these two treaties shall come into force simul- taneously. the treaty with Great Brit ain is also pending. Need 1 say that this development has been exploited to the full against the French ne- gotiators, who are accused in France sometimes even in the United States-with having abandoned the substance for the shadow and re- nounced part of the substantial guar antees demanded in their memoran- dunn of February 25. 1919, for the sake of obtaining two treaties which up to now do not exist? It has been said also that this mistake was the more inexcusable in that no one had lH0 TlBnA AO tE hOA NiV AdSN eiNAN Wilson was in a minority In Congress following the elections of November 5. 1918 The conclusion drawn is that the nonratifcation of the agreements negotiated by him should have been foreseen This double accusation has held a prominent place in discus sions on the peace. Intrusted as was with Franco American relations in the CIemenceau ministry, my de- sire to leave nothing unrevealed and to give the full facts will easily be understood.
 Facts Are Simple
 Moreover, the facts are quite sim- pie, for the two accusations that have mentioned can harm no one but their authors. We have, 1t is said, the substance for the shadow. Under the last paragraph of Article 425 you will see that failing the guarantees against German aggression, embodied in the Franco British and Franco American treaties, the occupation of the left bank of the Rhine can be ex- tended beyond 15 years. So we did foresee the risk of nonratification and did adopt appropriate preeau- tions. As to the childish accusation that we ignored the results of the American elections of November D, 1918, or that we did not allow for their possible consequences, 1t is to laugh These elections attracted some attention in the press Their possible effect on the ratification Of the various treaties escaped us so little that precisely because of the result we demanded and obtained by strenuous efforts the final paragraph of Article 429.
 What more could we have done and what would others have done in our place? Not negotiated with President Wilson, our critics answer With whom, then, should we have nego- tiated? The French government knew as well as any one that on November 5. la1g, MT. Wilson had lost his ma iority in Congress. a mishap that has befallen a number of his predeces- sors. not excepting the greatest among them, George Washington. But it knew also that in spite of this ad- verse election. MT. Wilson remained none the less until the end Of ms term the only constitutional. power with whom we could treat; for the President of the United States Is re- sponsible not to Congress. but to the whole electorate.
 Ayiiron's Judgment
 It is objected that MT, Wilson m appointing the American delegatlon has neglected to include republican senators. Was this an error Of Judsa nent on the part of the PresloeneI It is quite possible. But that was none of our business. any more than |, would have been MT. Wilson's or I1oyd Georee's business to decide whether NJ Clemenceau was rlght U. wrong in not calling upon M. Briano or M. Barthou. The reproacn on "baving negotiated with MT, Whson Is simply absurd, just as absurd IT, fact as it would be to reproach Llosu George with having made lmpor tane concessions to NJ Clemenceau "ien out foreseeing that M. Clemenceau' civ months later, would be placed III a minority by M Deschanel-
 These are--whether we LOOK upon f. as pod or bad--the risks or the narlimentary system. The heads or governments who neGotlateu ene peace legally represented thelr spective governments and 1t was pos sible whether one liked 1t or ho,, .o negotiate or bargain with them alone, None of them on the other hand coulo enter into an undertaking excep. .ubiect to parliamentary ratificatlon' which no one of them could deHlaho. These were the very conditions or the undertaking. It was in nopoay power to avoid the contradictlohs implied in these conditions. After the exchange of signatures, IL was the delegates business to return to their respective parllsments and oo- tain their approval
 Lloyd George Fortunate
 Mir. Lloyd George was fortunate enough having his elections behind him to meet with no opposition. M. CIemenceau, whom his enemies sought to overthrow by means of the treaty before the general elections Of No vember, 1919. had to fight more than two months in the chamber finally
 M. | D Caak