The Washington herald., 1921-05-01
TARDIEU BOOK ON VERSAILLES
CONFERENCE SUPPLIES KEY
TOPEACE POLICY OF FRANCE
Simonds Finds Clearest Statement of French
Intention in Volume By Expert.

In one respect at least, the vol
ume Of Andre Tardieu, Clemenceau's
first lieutenant and faithful friend,
describing the making Of the treaty
Of Versailles is unique among the
whole library of books on the same
subject. which have already ap-
peared. So far as I can recall II.
Tardieu's book Is the first which
frankly undertakes the defense Of
the treaty. Ray Stannard Baker
has attempted to defend the former
President of the United States who
shared in the making. Senator Levy
of France has ventured to champion
certain parts Of the Versailles docu-
ment. For the rest, from Keynes to
Lansing. we have been treated to a
monotonous chorus of dissent punc-
tuated by picturesque personal in
dictments.
Now Tardieu is bound to defend
the treaty because, next to Clemen-
ceau, he had the most to do with the
making Of any Freedman. But in
defending his is difficult task. be-
cause, to fall back on the old war
jargon, he has to conduct war
upon two fronts. At home, in
France he suffers politically be-
cause France believes that the treaty
represents q sacrifice Of French in
terests to British and American
ideas. In the United States and in
Great Britain, he has to defend the
| treaty against the charge. fathered
by Keynes, that it represents a CO.
lossal success for French imperial
ism, military and commercial.
Had Information.
At the outset of any commeu.
| upon the volume itself. 1t is fair to
say that It must prove a mine OF in
formation because the man who
wrote 1t Is in possession OF more
facts than any other author who
has discussed the subject. Lansing
never knew anything Of what was
/ going on, as he frankly comedies.
Keynes was only a clerk, or at
| most a sort of undersecretary on
the financial side, without influence
Or Importance and having no access
to the more important sessions.
But Tardieu was everywhere and
the current of all affairs, large
md small. What Col. House was
to President Wilson ne was TO
shadow gradually grew less, Tar
iieu's influence increased steadily
throughout the whole conference.
nd Lrno,fnD -
previously been revealed. Tardieu
ellis it all with engaging frankness
and documented detail.
His book Is. beyond all else. a
clear and complete statement of
| what France asked at the confer
I nnce, what she sought and fought
o obtain; II is a French book. writ
| ten, to be sure, in part for the
American audience. but with the
purpose to explain the French
,ase.
Explains Alliance.
| To take a single detail. the United
| States has always remained curious
over the triple alliance, signed by
Mr.. Wilson and binding the coun-
try. subject to the ratification of
he Senate, to come to the aid OF
/ IL lHey ever
wantonly attacked by the Germans
Why did he do 1t? This has been
| a frequent question. NJ. Tardieu
| answers it. Mr.. Wilson did it be-
,ause he was determined to pre-
vent military occupation of the left
bank of the Rhine by the French
and in the end this proved the only
way. But the Senate having de-
lined to ratify the treaty. does
| France regain her freedom Of occu-
patton? Tardieu believes so and
quotes the article in the treaty to
prove IT.
No book which ! have so far read
| gives anything like the intimate
| details of the day-by-day fighting
in the conference between the
| French and their British and Amer
lean allies. battles over the Serrs
over the left bank, over everything
France held dear and vital. The
reader will find no brilliant denun-
citation such as Keynes furnishes
nor any such sober and restrained