Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-11-12
CHAPTER XVII.

This Tiger and the Marshal Of France.
The interallied occupation of the left
bank and the bridgeheads of the Rhine
are fixed at Is years. Evacuation is
to be by zones, every five years, but
only on condition that Germany faith
fully complies with the peace treaty.
If faithful compliance is lacking, there
is to be no excavations at five-year
intervals. Even at the end Of 10 years,
we retain in any event, safeguard;
il the guarantees against an unprovok-
ed German aggression are deemed in
sufficient. there is to be no evacuation.
Finally. if, after evacuation, Germany
fails in her obligations to pay, there
is to- be reoccupation by all the allies
mot by France alone. Remember
that, from the beginning of January
to the end Of April, the participation of
the allies in the occupation and even
occupation itself had been refused us;
that as substitute we had been offer
ed the two treaties of guarantee and
that at the end of the discussion We
had both the treaties and the occupa-
ton. We had gone long way.
But such was, notwithstanding the
advantages won by III. Clemenceau, the
attachment of some great men to our
original proposal, that, even before the
agreement was made public, strong op-
position broke out. Hardly was the
discussion between the allies closed
than it began between the French.
Marshal Foch, whose views the French
government had so strongly defended,
feels that the time limits accepted by
NJ. Clemenceau destroy the value of
the guarantee.
Opposes Peace Conditions
He does not hide his way of thinking
even from the press. On April IL, he
refuses to transmit to General Nudant.
president of the armistice commission
and representative of the allied and as
sociated governments in their dealings
with the German government, the con-
vocation which the council of four has
decided to address to the enemy plen-
ipotentiaries for April 25. On the 18th
lie Mntin publishes an article (insDired
by him and the proofs of which had
been corrected by one of his officers)
against the conditions of peace. Then
II is an interview in the Daily Mail,
the reproduction of which is forbidden
in the French press by the censorship,
but which, none the less. has its echo
in the lobbies Of parliament, where a
resolution is prepared to be presented
to the senate.
These incidents, and others as well,
create certain amount of friction in
allied circles. They oblige NJ Clemen-
cesu to defend the commanderin- chief
with some warmth against the criti-
cisms of some heads of governments
who blame his recent interventions.
M. Clemenceau regrets them as much
as they do. But he makes it plain
with generous foresight-that the men
of victory must stick together and
ALn,, L11,
tion's mind be not broken"
NJ Discussion Is Sharp
The discussion is somewhat sharp.
Mr.. Lloyd George and Mr.. Wilson take
the view that the commanderin in chief
has no right to adopt the attitude he
has assumed in the past two days.
"We very willingly placed our armies
under the supreme command of a
French general, for whom We have the
highest admiration and the deepest
gratitude. but this general, no matter
how great his glory, is an obstacle to
the decisions Of the governments. We
cannot accept this situation and permit
the authority we have conferred to be
turned against us. 1t is fundamental
question Of constitutional responsible
They add:
ave are today as, yesterday, ready
to accept French general as COM
mander-in- chief. But we must have
general who obeys the governments"
M. Clemcnceau, to gain time, him
self sends to General Nudant the mes
sage which Marshal Foch had declined
to transmit and on the 18th. in the.
evening. asks NJ. Poincare to summon
Marshal Toch. On the 10th the heads
of the allied governments asked NJ Gle
menceau what he had done in the mat
ter. NJ. Clemenceau replies that he is
after the Council, and that the next |
day he will be able to inform them.
4tontinued on Page Thirteen)