Evening star., 1927-08-14
The Greatest of Living Frenchmen

He declared, however, that the world was
still divided into two hostile camps; those who
were in favor of rapprochement with Ger
many and those who were in the opposite camp.
Countries change but little." he said, land
I remain convinced that the best guarantee of
neace in the future is to constitute Franco
American English bloc alliance. So long as
these three countries are allied country will
ever dare to disturb the peace of the world"
X * X x
Also he gave expression to his often
pressed doctrine of interdependence, and de-
clared that the economic interdependence of the
great powers of the west of Europe a fact
that had insufficienty been realized and that
it was a thousand pities that politicians
preached a gospel entirely opposed to this in
Independence.
IF nations realized more fully how closely
interrelated and interdependent they really are
the advocates Of peace would obtain more par
tisans than those of war"
And again:
ITO understand the present and to estimate
the future 1t will ever be necessary to turn for
guidance to the past; the more able to
shed light on the lives of the great that have
preceded us, the more we will be able to &C
count for and interpret the present. Study his
tory at any age if you wish to foretell the
future and you will find everywhere the same
teaching. l believe in great men because they
alone can alter the course of history. Has
there ever been any assembly that has added
an inch to human stature as have Newton or
Pasteur?"
A solitary by preference, the Tiger is, never.
theless a great lover of humanity and of great
and noble deeds, there being nothing petty or
trivial in his composition.
ITO read great books and to think elevating
thoughts is far preferable in my opinion, than
to waste away ones energy in the many triviali-
ties that occupy men of fashion. Let us toll
strive after truth-that seek
eliminate all errors" and he declared that
man who substitutes dreams for reality should
never be awakened out of his dream.
Happy is the man who make illusion
the only reality, and to the who spends
some Of his time making others happy
much should be forgiven"
Talking to Clemenceau is a great intellec-
tual treat, for it is impossible to imagine any
possessing more sparkling incisive
power of repartee-for he is famous in a
country where this art is not uncommon. AS
Lloyd George used to say: Monsieur Clemenceau
is man who is extremely difficult to contradict
in a conference, and it is certain that he has
never been worsted in contest of wit either
in public or in private. In this connection the
following incident may be worth recording:
X = X X
Some while ago, NJ. Clemenceau sent re-
quest to the head of the monastery whose
garden he overlooks from his study, in which
he asked whether it would not be possible to
cut down tree that obstructed his view On
the monks complying with his request he sent
the abbot a letter of thanks which began with
these words:
Mon pere: Je connais pas votre nom.
mais puis vous appeler Pere puisque cest a
que je dois le jour H'ather, I
do not know your name, but I we'll call
you Father since it is to you owe the light
of day -
In truth, Lloyd George also said of the Tiger:
Every year he is one year younger and
possesses one claw morer'
(Copyright. 1927