Evening star., 1921-11-06
CHAPTER XXI.
THE BIG THREE IN PARIS


This was the heroic period of the
conference. by reason both Of the i'm
portance of the problems under dis
cussion and of the extraordinary in
tensity of the effort put forth. From
March "a to May the whole treaty
was put into shape: territorial.
financial, economic and colonial
clauses alike. Every morning and
every afternoon the four men met
together. usually on the ground floor
of the Hotel Bischofrsheim. In the
garden an American "doughboy'' stood
sentry. wearing the insignia of the
conference, white scales on 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 it's own
laws. In the afternoon each man
took the same seat he had occupied
in the morning. Sir Maurice Hankey,
secretary of the British war cabinet,
and Prof Mantoux. head interpreter
of the French delegation. were the
only others present. The plenipoten-
tiaries and experts came only from
time to time. The tone was conversa-
Orlando spoke but little: Italy's in
terest in the conference was far too
much confined to the question of
Fiume, and her share in the debates
solved itself into a three-cornered
conversation between Wilson, Gle
menceau and Lloyd Georgian amaz-
ing contrast of the three most widely
different natures that it is possible to
conceive: Always sincere and
g n o n
were at times almost tragic In their
solemn simplicity, and. would then re-
lax into something approaching gay
ETY. when agreement was in sight, HIS
even in the most difficult hours the
-four" always spoke the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the
truth.
Too Close to judge Them.
I shared their life too closely to
be able to judge them. Who better
than 1 knows their shortcomings? I
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? | have no right
to praise them; l shall but try to
redress. in as few words @ as % may %a,ts ne,
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
the dupe Of Wilson and Lloyd
George; in the United States that
Wilson was the plaything OF Lloyd
George, and in England Mr.. Keynes
ed 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 rs Lead LEAD,
is that from the first day to the last.
with a deep desire to reach agree
1rent, the discussion proceeded foot
by foot. 1 have already explained
why.
The discussion between men whose
national and individual temperaments
were utterly. opposed was natnrauy
exceedingly keen. PRESIDENT Wlison
oriticizing a thesis. sitting bolt up
right in his armchair, inclining bis
head at times toward his advisers. de-
yeloping his views with the abundant
clearness Of a didactic logician., Mr..
LLOYD George argued like a sharp
shooter, with sudden bursts OF cor
dial approval and equally 1requent
gusts of anger, with a wealth OF Drll-
liant imagination and copi4ns e,asn;ns MIS- hIs
knee in his hands. he sat near the
HrepIace. wrapped in the utmost in
difference to technical arguments' r. r.
resfstibly attracted to unlooked-Ior
.olutions. but dazzling with eloquence
and wit, moved only by higher ap-
peals to permanent bonds of friend
shin. and ever fearful OF parliament
tary consequences. T..
AS for NJ Clemenceau. his part IN
the discussion was thoroughly typl-
cal. and in very many instances his
views prevailed. His arguments. in
stead of being presented by deductive
reasoning. like those Of Mr.; Wilson. or or
Of exploding incidentally. ike those OF
Mr.. Lloyd George. proceeded by as
sertions weighty, rough-hewn and in
sistent. but clothed with gentle words
that did him credit, and refulsent
with emotion which at times was
overpowering. Mr. Keynes has had
the face to find fault with him for
seeking. first of all, to place France
rression: it is the criticism of man
who has understood nothing. of the
history of Europe during the past