Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-09

-6 W IlcI CiN opC1uG4B WIN
d him in the Daily Chronicle as
IIs.g that Premier Clemenceau and
Rsesident Wilson arranged a secret
agreement regarding occupation of
the Rhineland during one of the Brit
1sh premier's absences from the
peace conference.
Moreover, the statement said, the
facts contained in Spender's story
were inaccurate.
A statement from the Quai dOrsay
(the French foreign office denying
existence of the secret pact was said
| by Mr.. Lloyd George to be "substan-
TALLY correct
Did Make Agreement
Mr.. Wilson and M. CIemenceau,
Mr.. Lloyd Georges statement said,
did reach agreement while he (Lloyd
George) was in London in April,
1919, on two important issues.
zone was military occupation of
the Rhineland. The other was guar
antees by the United States of the
French frontier against acts of ag-
gression by Germany.
ITO describe this agreement as
secret is ridiculous" the statement
said.
Attests Wilson's Loyalty
president Wilson, / need hardly
say" Lloyd George added, "acteo
with perfect loyalty" Neither Mr..
Wilson nor NJ. Clemenceau, he said,
could be blamed for his being called
to England when he faced serious
domestic difficulties and they COM
municated their agreement to him
upon his return, he said.
The ex-premier's statement was a
complete disavoWal of any intention
to imply anything secret was put
over on him while he was absent
from the Paris sessions of the big
flour" After his return from Lon
don to Paris, the agreement Mr..
Wilson and M. Clemenceau reached
while he was away was adopted by
the "big four with only slight mod
ification, he said.
Here is he exact statement credit
! ed to Lloyd George in an interview:
There was the proposal for 1if-
teen years military occupation OF
the Rhine frontier by the allies. L
was opposed to it. [ was called away
to London. When / returned |
found this Wilson had surrendered
to CIcnonceau and thus the French
gained that right to occupy the
Rhine country. / have only quite
recently discovered that during my
absence in London, Clemenceau and
Wilson signed a secret compact on
this question
French Issue Denial
From Paris came an interview
with "the tiger" Clemenceau, deny
Ing Lloyd Georges assertion; andre
Tardieu, who played a prominent
nnnfPrPncP nrOcpe0-
ings, did not know of the pact.
The British press today printed at
length everything Washington, New
York, Paris and London had to say
in connection with the alleged secret
pact.
What happened. in a nutshell, was
this:
The French foreign office intends
to publish a series of yellow papers"
or a yellow book" dealing with the
making of the peace of Versailles,
and sent Great Britain proofs, ask
ing permission to publish them
These were sent on to Lloyd
George "out of courtesy, because in
conjunction with President Wilson
and Premier Clemenceau he had
been concerned in a discussion of
the natter
Full Statement Asked
Ehe yellow book presumably
wSs-~<Ae, be Frances apologize for oc-
cdpati1n for the Rhineland and
Ruhr. 1t was to show that Wilson
and Lloyd George agreed.
Whether or not this is what the
"yellow book" proofs contained,
Lloyd George, upon receiving them,
coincident with the death of Mr..
.Wilson, stated to newspaper CORE
spondents that the secret pact agree
ing to occupation of the Rhine had
been made while he was away from
Paris.
The British foreign office has
asked Lloyd George to reply to the
French denials of his charge, ano
announced it will probably give con
sent of the Macdonald government
to publication of the yellow book.
CLEMENCEAU AND TARDIEU
FLATLY DENY CHARGES
PARIS, Feb. Thy the Associat
ed Press. )-'If Lloyd George will
produce a secret agreement betweer
Wilson and me- l will pay the repa
rations," said former Premier Glenn
encau today after reading the text
OF the statements ascribed to Davic
Lloyd George concerning a secrot
pact between Clemenceau ant
woodrow Wilson in regard to the
occupation of the Rhineland.
Andre Tardieu's oenial. made dur
ing the session OF the chamber o.
deputies yesterday, and amplifie6
later and approved by Clemencear
S?-~~
1.-THE text that Mr.. Wilson accept
ed on April 20 at p. RI. in con
versation with NJ. Clemenceau anC
myself had been in the hands of Mr.
| IloVd George as we'll as those o
Mr.. Wilson for fifteen days. 1t wa:
the same text that Mr.. Lloyt
George, absent from Paris on the
goth. accepted on the morning o
the 22d, after last resistance. The
clauses in question became article:
42S to 49, of the treaty OF Yer
sailles.
IF Mr.. Wilson were still Twins
his denial would be added to tina
which l regret being obliged TO in
flict upon the former British prime
minister. The vital guarantees WI
obtained for France on the Rhine
were acquired Only after months o
terrible struggle. but it is our prid
that we obtained them with the 10y
atty of all our allies.
MIR. WI. SONS LETTERS
MAY SETTLE DISPUTE
WASHINGTON. Feb. Wood
row Wilson'S private files may vel
an answer TO the controversy nov
raging between London and Parl
over Lloyd Georges charge that MI
Wilson and Nj. Clcmenceau arrange
secret pact on Rhmeland occupg
ton Nhile M. I lNNI CcDrrp'S hD,,l