The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-11-24
TIGER HITS
BACK SHARPLY
Challenges Hitchcock To
Go To France and Learn
Truth
NO BLACK TROOPS
OF FRANCE ON RHINE
Tells Senator Borah He's
Accused at Home Of Be
ing Too Lenient


Press The Tiger Of France launched
back at his Senate critics to-day in
his first American interview, granted
to the Associated Press, replying par
ticularly to the criticism Of Senators
Hitchcock and Borah.
Senator Hitchcock calls me mill
| tarist," Clemenceau, French war pre-
mier said. ''Well am glad to tell
Mr.. Hitchcock he is In the Senate ow-
ing to the vote, for only few more
days. When he is free | dare him TO
90 to France and learn the facts
Answering Senator Hitchcock's de-
mand that he explain why France in
sisted on using black troops in her
army Of occupation, the Tiger declared
that Hitchcock had been misfed by
German propaganda.
! To Senator Borah's recent assertion
| that Clemenceau was primarily re-
sponsible for conditions in Europe be-
cause OF his great influence in the
drafting Of the Versailles treaty, the
aged statesman declared his situation
was particularly distressed" since in
France he had been most bitterly criti-
cized s'for having asked from the Ger
mans less than | ought to-
When he was told that some of the
senators at Washington had said they
were not able to understand clearly
from his speeches Just what he wanted
OF America, the Tiger said with a
CLEAN in his eyes that he thought they
would know after his address this aft
ernoon in fremont templeAthe second
formal speech Of his American tour.
Clemenceau received his interviewers
in his big bedroom Of the home of r.
L. Higginson, jr., where he is staying
while in this city.
He wore his usual gray crtaway
suit, and his gray skull cap was
perched at a rakish angle on his bald
head. Seating himself in huge easy
chair, he said:
Now, put any questions you like and
/ will answer them"
The interviewers went at once to the
subject Of the Washington criticism.
Clemenceau smiled and shrugged
II had made ii point not to dis
cuss with official people in America,
he said But / have said ! viii an
swer all, so ! must answer"
II am glad to tell Mr.. Hitchcock he
Is in the Senate only for a few days,
owing to the vote" he began, referring
TO the Nebraskan's recent defeat for
reelection. Therefore, think III
be accused If l dare him to go TO Eu-
rope, and If he finds anyone in my
country or elsewhere who says | have
been militarist, then III own it.
Il have suffered much from ls7l~to
1917 for not being militarist. 1
turned militarist when the war broke
out--before, | had been rsilitarist to
the extent of extending the length of
military service in France.
But that wasn't too bad. If it al
lowed us to oppose the German front
until England and America appeared. >
The Black Troops.
Asked to answer Hitchcock's ques-
ton about black troops, the Tiger said,
"bon,' and waded in.
I'm the first place there are no black
troops Of occupation in the area Of oc-
cupation Of the enemy. in the second
place, nave seen blacK American
troops AT the front, and they stood
the fire with bravery, too.
"of course, tins has nothing 70 90
with the question OF whether we are
militarists or not. IL Is an attempt
of German propaganda to oppose
France and America and obscure what
is really the great question.
"The Germans and all OF our foes
had been killing enough OF our white |
men and 100000 black men fell gal
lantly fighting on the frontiers OF lib |
erty' as Woodrow Wilson called them.
We are not going to deny them place
in history.
f'Now those black soldiers were al
ways more or less occupying towns IN
France, and always got along perfect
" with the white French people. Even,
| should say, their discipline is strict
er than any white troops.
$50 I have seen papers Of German
propaganda which ] suppose inspired
Mr.. Hitchcock, saving | can plainly /
zee they are lies. After Mr.. Hitch
rock is free from the Senate, If he'll
come 10 France, he will see.
~The day before I left Paris. heard
these stories would be employed 70
prove we were a militarist people. So