The Washington times., 1923-08-31
IN SECLUS|ON,
TIGER WRITES
PHILOSOPHY
CIemenceau Also Is Making
Flowers Bloom in Desc
late Sand Waste.
By FRANK e. MASON.
International News Service.

By FRANK e. MASON.
International News Service.
LES Stables D'OLONNE. Ven
| dee. Aug. 31.-To cultivate, tc
appreciate beauty, and to develop
force of character and soul-these
are two of the tenets of his phil
| osophy of life which former Ere
mier Georges Clemenceau is writ
ing into a new book.
The Tiger has turned his back
on the world of politics; he de
kclares he has no advice to offer
the statesmen attempting to unite
the Gordian knot of reparations.
Lives in Lonely Cottage.
|. A year ago Clemenceau was busy
preparing for his political mission
airy trip to America; today he de-
votes his time to writing his book
# philosophy and to retaining
the desolate sand dunes on which
he has built his lonely seaside cot
tage. His quest of beauty IL
Joined by q test of force.
True to his life habit of deliber
ately choosing the hardest tasks,
Clemenceau has undertaken TO con
vert a forlorn, dreary waste OF
sand into a jungle of INTERVIEWING
flowers.
To track the Tiger to his lair,
take the slowest local train leav,
ing Paris, and no matter how often
or how long it may stop stay with
1t until 1t has reached the little
fishing village of Les Stables. Here
turn to the left, and fifteen miles
across the sand you will come tc
the grassy road that Clemenceau
has made to his wilderness retreat
In View Of Sea.
From a distance the Tigers cot
tage looks like the long, low bar.
can doughboys in France. There
is no other human habitation in
sight. Perched on a hill. the ram
bling building commands a splen.
did view of the sea two hundred
yards away.
Wading ankle-deep in the loose
sand which made the only paths
about the house, I entered the com
bination dining-rOom and kitchen.
A cheerful-faced old woman, in pic
turesQue Sablaise peasant cap, was
busy polishing the copper pots which
nned the walls. M. Clemenceau later
proudly showed me one of the cop
per pieces-an old garden watering
can which came from the Trianon.
Marie Antoinette had used it when
she played at being a country maid
in the grounds of the Versailles
chateau.
Full OF VigOr.
"M'sieu le President is in his
study writing" the housekeeper an
nounced. And then, under ''M'sieu
lie Presidents" instructions, she
ushered me into the wooden annex
built at the end of the barracks,
which Clemenceau calls his salon. 2
Clemenceau tells how this room was
built in American style-that is,
within a week.
I had waited only a moment when
Clemenceau himself appeared. His
cream flannel suit and white tennis
shoes set off in sharp contrast his
head was the inseparable blue rain.
in-the-face cap of some former
French soldier. He shook hands
wearing his gray suede gloves, with
out which he is never seen.
Clemenceau looked tired and worn
when / last interviewed him, re.
turning from his American trip, at
LIE Havre. He is now full of vigor
and looks more like sixty than four.
score.
asked the Tiger about his book
of philosophy.
mo. that book doesn't concern
the world-not now. What if I do
| choose to write a book; perhaps in
two or three weeks I may change
my mind. So / cannot say anything
about 1t yet" Clemenceau spoke in
English
Show Irrigation System.
Let me show you the irrigation
\ system l am installing. / will have
| flowers-thousands Of fIowers-flow
ers more beautiful than any man
made philosophy: more beautiful
than questions of world politics"
| We went out into the sand
Clemenceau stopped to talk witt
two peasant plumbers who wer.
laying a long black pipe through
the garden, which now was only ar
immense barren square of sand
| where the wind blew up eddies o.
dust. The workmen promised the
| Tiger that the irrigation pipe would
be functioning tomorrow.
With pride Frances former Pre-
m1er led me to the we'll he has haC
dug two hundred yards from tht
house. cistern where the ses
water filters through the sand ant
collects, fresh and pure, but still
| obeys the rise and fall of the tide
A little gas engine pumps thu
water to the house and to the gar
dens.
Some Flowers Blooming.
| Between the Tigers house anc
the sea the irrigation system is al
ready at work, and Clemenceau'.
broad study window looks out en-
veritable jungle of flowers. TIE
marguerites. peoples, gernaiums
asters and lowered thistles are not
planted according to any imagin
| able rule Of landscape gardening
| NJ pERpETT1AT HI