The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-22
William Allen White Sees
America Absorbed in
peace Dance"
PICTURES REPLIES
AS FUNERALPIECES
Ayers Other Powers Took
Their Cue from U. S.
In Responses.
By WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

France had her day of heartbreak
surrounded by sympathetic and con-
spring friends. NJ. Aristide BRAND
I'remier Of France, delivered e
speech - the long-expected speech
which might have been a def if it
had not been an apology.
In a world broken by war and
straining its eyes to see the dawn
of peace. NJ. BRAND stood in the
conference of the delegates of the
great nations of the world and
pleded for the right to prepare
for war. In a foreign land, to ar
audience where his language-hery
beautiful. convincing and powerful
fell in a foreign tongue, the great
Trench orator talked for an hour
to a crowd that for the most part
could see and hear in his great
performance only passionate panto-
. mime and musical cadences that
rose ard receded necessarily, like
some lullaby of Thor or Mars.
Fails to Reach Auditors.
Motion and music and fire. the
-ifts OF a great actor. the cry of
P-Ometheus bound-that was the
effect Of the eloquent flights OF the
French premier at the conference
crowd yesterday. And IL was not
altogether, nor even largely, that
his auditors could not quickly COM
hend his words They could not
s'1- reciatc the agony of his soul.
gs them the BRAND speech was a
call from another world-mOtion,
and music. and fre-all mute and
remote ard unmeaning.
Europe. in her most appealing
voice, was trying to reach America
and failed. so far as the unofficial
auditors went. America is fixed in
= purpose to bring peace to the
world and. being America, believes
in the efficacy of slogans and for
T1ulas and prayers. America is, for
the moment. in an "other-wnrldy'
mood. Again and again NJ. BRAND
referred to Americans as a prac-
ticI people true enough reference
Up to a point. but in tie matter of
disarmament America is past the
point.
L. :. Dancing Peace steps.
Americans are practical until they
begin TO dance to some moral issue
Then the bowling dervishes can
learn steps from your Uncle Sam
We are dancing the peace dance
now. and NJ. Brands demands for
continued military preparation in
France fell upon dull ears. Not that
Americans would stop the military
plans of France. Americans have
lost interest in them. That is all
And IL seemed from certain Off
-ial voices at the conference that
the other allied and associated pow
srs took the cue from America.
Their representatives rose one by
one and spoke with what seemed
7reat punctiliousness. but with dead
voices. about the French position
Bouuuets were tossed to France and
garlands for her orator. But they
seemed to be funeral pieces. the
broken shaft. our dear one" and
-at rest" No orange blossoms, no
.aurels.
Responses Seem MournfuI.
France stepped back into Europe
the Europe of the OLD World
and the orators of her allies and
friends in their responses seemed to
be using rather mournful numbers
, In delivering their three cheers for
gay IL seemed to at least one re-
porter of the empty show that fol-
owed the BRAND speech.
1t was great audience that
rathered to hear NJ. BRAND - the
greatest of the conference. His re-
.eption when he arose was hearty.
His earnestness, his fine. clear voice,
his marvellous oratorical gifts.
e -,
which most of his auditors heard
aim. the sheer leonine virility OF
ais personality - all these gripped
md charmed his hearers and forced
applause from the crowd; applause
that did not always greet senti-
nIents which the translator re-
peated. Not that the translator
Iacked ardor. He had his impas-
Iioned moments, too. But the thing
he was delivering was not the thing
The crowd wanted.
BaIfour Makes Reply.
Mr. Balfour's reply was quite in
The Balfour manner, uttered with
.he orthodox British hesitancy Cthe
Britisher who speaks trippingly on
the tongue commits grievous
,ratorical blunder. and Mr.. Balfour
was in fine form). His evident de-
ure to please-always manifest in
ais oratorical manner-took some
Element of sincerity from the i'm
preston he made. Yet NJ. BRAND
clearly accepted the Balfour speech
II par. For when it was finished
4 member of the French delegation
told the Americans that he had
been waiting forty years to hear
hat kind of a speech from an Eng
ishman. That satisfaction may
have been the enthusiasm of the
,ratorical temperament. For the
reporters gallery seemed to feed
The perfunctory character of the
,reaking oratory that met the
BRAND speech.
1t is unbelievable that human
beings would respond so generously
20 noble impulses as the delegates
lresresponding. But the record is
the record 1t chokes the cynic
With his cynicism- These are not
bis days.
(c~pyrtxht, 1891, By United Hevx.)