New-York tribune., 1922-11-23
Can We Start Afresh?

labor to reflect. No one can picture
this simple, heroic old man, speak
ing his heart out to strangers in the
cause of his beloved France, without
catch in the throat and 4 stirring
of generous emotions now buried be-
meath months Of wrangling peace.
1t is upon this moment Of faith re-
won, of return to a friendship sealed
in great adventure, that the one
hope Of good from his message rests.
1t is only hope, let US agree. The
reactions of some critics to M. Gle
menceau's words show by their heat,
by their partisanship, by their ad-
herence to old quarrels and by their
worn phrases how steeply up hill
rises the road before him. But he
has come, he has spoken wisely,
boldly, like the great man that he is,
and it behooves every friend of the
future, every lover Of youth and
right, to bear such aid as he can.
Briefly. the call to America is to
start afresh, to turn over the pages
since the war, marred and blotted by
personal rancor, and seek to write
for the future a new and fairer text.
NJ. Clemenceau does not ask US to
forget our disagreements-h made
1t plain that he had not altered his
convictions upon any fundamentals.
This sturdy old Frenchman is above
all else an honest man. He utters
no hypocrisy and he asks no hypoc-
risy from US. We like to think that
herein lies one of his great appeals
to America. nation of frontier cali
dor, Of ma0-to-man speech. Ii is a
searching Of hearts. a clearing away
Of small spites and personal an5.nosi-
ties, and, thereafter, a fresh debate
upon an old problem, to which we
are summoned.
Let as try to be as candid as is NJ
Clemenceau. Can it be questioned
that the peace ended in tragic fail
ure So far as this country was con
cerned? America is toe close to that
episode 10 apportion responsibility
fairly. Blame therefor must he
weighed by future generations. We
can feel assured that it will ulti.
mately rest where it belongs. Yet
for more than two vears now Ameri.
cans have been refghting this battle
of the peace Every question that
has arisen touching Europe has beer
poisoned by this old venom. Those
l. who viewed Mr.. Wilson as perfect
leader, righteous martyr, coult
" think Of Europe only in terms Of the
League Of Nations, with every ar.
ticle untouched, These who viewed
Mr.. Wilson as the arch enemy ot
ldealism held back from any par
ticipation in European affairs fol
fear that some yielding to Wilson
ism might be spelled out of thei,
concession.
We do not suggest that pretenst
be enacted, to wit, that there ha,
been no quarrel over the league o,
over Mr.. Wilson and the Senate. L
we are to be realists like NJ. Gle
menceau we must accept the pas
and stand by the truth as we hav,
seen 1t and see it now. But has no
the time come when it is possible t,
agree to disagree as to this past his
tory and go forward to the solutio,
of present problems without malic,
for the past and with open mint
toward the needs of the future?
There is much to emulate in Nj
Ciemenceau's sturdy candor. H,
uttered both the words guarantees
ard League and survived. H,
plunged for neither. He did not pre-
tend to tell America how it shout,
deal with either problem. He dix
express some faith in both method,
Of approach-that of an understand
ing among England, France ant
America touching the near at han,
and larger society of nations build
ing toward the future. Is there no
world Of sense in this twofold ad
vance? it was a good ideahst a.
well as a good soldier, Oliver Crom
well, e5ho said: "Put your trust il
God. but mind TO keep your powder
dry" That saying has always helc
= particularly strong appeal Il
americans. It is, if you viii, the
American, the frontier. way Of ap
preaching life-t look beyond ths
horizon and labor toward it, yet keer
ones hand on ones holster.
We would not prejudge any solu
ton Of either problem. Perhaps
some loose agreement for nutua
discussion in the event Of threatened