The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-06

ference, white scales on blue grour held at the ministry of war in M. c fice.' Habit had created it's own la1 the same seat he had occupied in secretary of the British war cabinet preter of the French delegation, wel ipotentiaries and the experts came o conversational. Neither ponp nor p ltaly's interest in the conference wa ton of Plume, and her share in the It resolved itself into a thnee-corl Clemenceau and Lloyd George-an widely different natures that it is and straightforward, these interview solemn simplicity and would then rel when agreement was in sight. Hi even in the most difficult hours thu whole truth and nothing but the trut
 I shared their life too closely to be able to judge them. Who better than I knows their shortcomings? I have no taste to blame them; for I saw them give the very best of their great minds to their task, and what more can one ask? l have no right to praise them. l shall put try to redress, in as few words as may be, the wrong done by the outrageous pen of a subordinate and disgruntled employee. I shall brush aside thN legend that one of these three men hoodwinked the others. In France 1t has been said that C1emenceau was the dupe of Wilson and of Lloyd George; in the United States that Wilson was the plaything of Lloyc George, and in England MT. heynef has written that M. Clemenceau turned the trick alone. This childish aud contradictory explanation, con venient to politicians, must be apan- doned. 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 agree ment, the discussion proceeded foot bv foot. have already explained why.
 Keen Discussion
 The discussion between men whose national and individual temperaments were utterly opposed was naturally exceedingly keen. President Wilson discussed like college professor criticizing a thesis, sitting bolt up- right in his armchair, inclining his head at times towards his advisors developing his views with the abund- ant clearness of q didactic logieian. Mir. Lloyd George argued like s sharp shooter, with sudden bursts of cordial approval and equally fre- quent gusts of anger, with wealth of brilliant imagination and copious historical "reminiscences; clasping his knee in his hands, he sat near the fireplace. wrapped in the utmost in- difference to technical arguments, irresistlbly attracted to unlooked-for solutions, but dazzling with elo- quence and wit, moved only by high CT appeals to permanent bonds of friendship, and ever fearful of par~ liamentary consequences. As for M. Clemenceau, his part In the discus sion was thoroughly typical and in very many instances his views pre- vailed. His arguments instead of be- ing presented by deductive reasoning like those of MT Wilson or of ex- ploding incidentally like those of Mir. Lloyd George, proceeded by asser- tions weighty, rough-hewn and in sistent, but clothed with gentle words that did him credit and reful- gent with emotion which at times was overpowering. Mir. Keynes has had the face to ttnd fault with him for seeking first of all to place France beyond the reach of German aggression: it is the criticism of a man who has understood nothing of the history of Europe during the past 50 years and whose insular egoism cannot grasp what invasion means.
 Period Is Closed
 This period of history Is closed. Most of the men who dominated 1t are retired. This gives me the great CT freedom to say that the lesson of the war was not lost upon them, that despite their deep differences of opinion they were animated by an all-powerful unity of purpose, by a spirit of real understanding. 'We entered here united. M. clemenceau used to say, i've must leave here brothers" France and her spokes- man did all they could to bring this about. They had a hard time of 1t. To give effect by common agreement to the essential bases of peace-resti- tuition, reparation and guarantees- what toll and labor~therein lay! Com plete harmony crowned their work with success. It is easy to pretend that the policy of France was a "punic" policy; the mark of the beast Is upon our devastated region and tells on which side were the Cartha- ginians. It is easy to taunt Presi- dent Wilson with having adapted his principles to the pressing, demands of reality, although as matter of fact they were not his principles alone but the principles of all of us and not one of them was violated: this brand of sarcasm comes from those who in the solitary seclusion of their firesides build in their own minds an Imaginary world from which living suffering and achieving humanity Is arbitrarily banished It is easy to make capital out of MT. Lloyd Georges contradictions; no one has suffered more from them than France. But In justice 1t must be added that in the most serious times those who knew how to talk to the British prime minister could always bring him back to fundamental prin- ciples. The infinite sensitiveness O; his mind, his passionate love of sue cess, led him to improvise arguments which did not always bear examina ton or were too exclusively pro- Brit ish. But when man who enjoyed his respect answered the bold sug- gestions of his quick brain with those permanent truths which he had mo menearily deserted. he came back tc them when the time arrived for final decision. These three men. for whom needless to say l have not the same personal feeling, forced upon me the same conviction about them all; the conviction that in their unheard ot task they managed to maintain and make even closer bonds that bine our three countries the breaking oi which would spell disaster to civir, -a f{ou Tshav rp1u dtd ...;sL.