Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-19
CLEMENCEAU MAY
BREAK HIS SILENCE
BY ANDRE TARDIEU
Ieased Wire Service to The Journal.)

(C0pyrlSnC, 1871
PARIS, Sept. 16.-Clemenceau' S
decision to go to America to make
Frances voice heard and to ex-
press his opinion regarding the
rights and duties of the allies has
aroused in France and elsewhere
profound interest. Nobody should
be more attentively listened to, for,
nobody has maintained more rig
orous silence during the last three
years.
The men who directed during the
war, especially through the terrible
crisis of 1917-1S can never be re-
signed to the present spectacle of
collective impuissance on the part
of the nations whose complete I'M
ity five years ago accomplished such
great things. We were convinced
then that no difficulty could resist
co-ordinated effort and action of the
powers grouped against German ag-
gression. Clemenceau, who retired
swearing he would never speak
publicly again, could not resist this
spectacle. That is the psychological
origin Of this action.
Moreover it seems to me he in
terprets exactly the present impress
sion of the American people when
he addresses them directly in the
name of the French people. Every
body there, as here, is disguised
with empty gestures and sterile talk
dispensed by officials who never &C
complish anything. The people
don't clearly understand who is re-
sponsible, but they will approve any
initiative from an unofficial source.
Clemenceau, with whom 1 have
just passed two days at his fishing
camp in Vendee, does not go to
America as a semi-official negotia-
tor. He believes in the business of
governments and he believes when
governments perform badly it is the
business of the people to change
governments. His business will be
to tell Americans Whot policy seems
to him necessary to restore the NOR
al equilibrium after victory; to show
what was the situation in 1919 and
how we have arrived at our present
situation which satisfies nobody.
The program is huge and he is the
man to fulfill it.
The difficulty which Frenchmen
and Americans experience is of I'M
derstanding each other despite their
readiness to love one another. This
struck me the other day when l
read a list of questions which were
submitted by those intelligent wom-
en-, who composed the Good Will
delegation, and by letters received
from members Of the American Lee
gion. Even after seeing France many
do not &C mprehend the reason for
certain fundamental differences be-
tween French and American life.
Our cult of. past which is SO much
longer with Us than with you, and
our ideas of frontiers, which are
so much nearer and bloodier in the
old world than in the new, gives a
certain turn to our psychology,
which American minds do not read
lily grasp.
Clemenceau. besides having play
ed a great role in history, has the
Vantage VI Spcdhll4S AAlSoAA9 AANO
a native. If any man in the world
can raise the veil covering these
mysteries it is he.
Vacations end approaches and our
great men will indulge in the lux
ury of more eloquence at Genoa and
elsewhere, while the people, as usual,
pay the pipe. We must also see
how Near Eastern affairs will be
s.Utled without the aid of diplomats.
The problem of German payments
will be found at the same point as
two years ago and therell be more
talk of the high salaries of the rep
arations commissioners. for which
they render small service.
Lloyd George will repeat his be-
lief in Wirth's good faith and Pom
care will repeat he intends to be PAID
willingly or by force, but neither
the confidence Of the first nor the
impreca tons of the second will mod
fly the situation and people who
read newspapers will say we are go
ing backward.
Then Clemenceau will speak. AS
the people listen they will remem-
Der. He never has spokn without
saying something and he has taste
for solutions. That may induce
fruitful reflections among those who
almost everywhere were in such
a hurry to unseat those who won
the war. Their successors have not
done better-far from it.