The New York herald., 1921-03-28
TARDIEU BLAMES
WILSON FOR DELAY
| in MAKING PEACE
Clemenceau Aids Book to
Say Leagues Presence in
Treaty Was His Fault.
| LIGHT ON BIG FOUR
Frenchman Paints Picture
OF Conference at Variance
With Lansing's.
PRAISE FOR PRESIDENT
Nobody Hoodwinked. No
Trickery and No Principles
Violated BY Conferees.
PRAISE FOR PRESIDENT

An inside" story or the Peace Con-
ference told by Andre Tsrdien is about
to be published. The revelations made
by Clenerceau's principal aid VIII Al
tract as much attention, doubtless as
the secrets that have been told by Robert
Lansing.
Tardleu makes It clear that President
Wilson prevented the drafting OF sum
mary treaty which would have settled
the main question of peace speedily,
leaving the League OF Nations and other
lesser affairs for more deliberate con-
sideration. The President, he states
was anxious to have only one draft. and
not two, 10 submit 10 the United States
Senate"
The French were particularly anxious
to have a summary treaty, covering the
principal matters, quickly framed and
put into execution, but in the face Of
President Wilson's attitude they were
helpless and the British were too dis
Greet to make opposition.
Concerning the mannerisms and per-
| sonalities OF the Big Four" at the con-
| ference. NJ Tardieu. in his Forthcoming
has this to say:
/
pomp nor pose. Signor Orlando spoke
but little: 1taly's interest In the confer
ence was far too much confined to the
| question of Fiume, and her share in the
debates was too limited as result. 1t
resolved itself into a three cornered con-
| yersation by Wilson, Clemenceau and
Lloyd Georgian amazing contrast OF
the three most widely different natures
that it Is possible to conceive Always
cit os..t,t 81
| terviews were at times almost tragic in
their solemn simplicity and would then
relax into something approaching gayety
when agreement Was in sight. History
will record with approval that even In
the most difficult hours the -Four al
ways spoke the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
Dfscards Legend OF Trickery.
II shared their life too closely to te
able to judge them. Who better than
knows their shortcomings? l have no
taste t6 blame them, for / saw them
give the very best of their great minds
to the task, and what more can one ss6 ;
have no right to praise them. ] shall
brush aside the legend that one OF these
! three men hoodwinked the others In
! France it has been said that Clsmen-
ceau was the dupe of Mr.. Wilscn and
Mr.. Lloyd George; in the United States
that Wilson was the plaything % Lloyd
George, and in England it has been
written that N. Clemenceau TUNED the
trick alone. These childish and contra
dictory explanations, convenient to poll
/ ticians, must be Abandoned.
THE discussion by these three men.
whose national and individual tempera- :
nents were utterly opposed. was natu-
rally exceedingly keen. President Will
son discussed like college professor
criticising a thesis. sitting bolt upright
in his chair, inclining his head at times
toward his advisers developing his views
with the abundant clearness OF a didac-
i tic logician. Mr.. Lloyd George argued
like sharpshooter. with sudden burst
of cordial approval and equally frequent
l gusts OF anger, with a wealth of bril-
liant Imagination and copious historical
"reminiscences. dazzling with eloQuence
and wit, but ever fearful of parlia
mentary consequences As for NJ. Glenn
enceau. his. part in the discussion was
thoroughly typical and IN very many in
stances his views prevailed. His argu-
ments. instead of being presented by
deductve reasoning like those of Mr.
Wilson. or of exploding incidentally like
those Of Mr.. Lloyd George, proceeded by
assertions weighty, rough hewn and In
sistent. but clothed with gentle words
that did him credit and refu1gent at
times with emotion that was almost
overpowcring.
"The lesson or the war was not lost
upon them. Despite their deep differ
ences of opinion they were animated by
mn all powerful unity OF purpose. by a
spirit Of real understanding. They had
a hard time of 1t, but complete harmony
crowned their great work with success
No Wilson Principle violated.
'1t is easy TO taunt President Wilson
with having adapted his principles Ia
the pressing demands OF reality, al
though as a matter OF fact they were
not his principles alone but the princi-
pies OF all of us. and not one OF them
was violated 1t is easy TO make capital
out OF Mr.. Lloyd Georges contradic-
| tions no one has suffered more from
them than France. The infinite sensi-
tiveness OF his mind. his passionate love
OF success led him to improvise argu-
ments which did not always bear ex-
animation or were too exclusively pro-
! British. But when confronted with
those preeminent truths which he had
momentarily deserted he came back 10
them when the time arrived for nnal
| decision.
For the convenience OF controversy,
the story was widely circulated OF the
| most formidable treaty In history hur-
riediy improvised and thrown together
by four fallible and i'll informed men
closcted In a dark room. imposing upon
\ the world their whim as law. The time
has come to meet this fable with the
facts The treaty was studied, pre-
pared and discussed for six long months
by fiifty-elght technical commissions or
which sat the foremost specialists OF
each country. who held 1.646 meetings.
"The conclusions OF these commits
sions, verified b. twenty-six local in
vestigations, were discussed from jan
uary 10 to June 2s by three bodies
the council OF Minister OF Foreign Az
fairs. which held thirty-nine meetings
the Council OF Ten, which held seventy
| twn nlnetinps and the Council Of Four