Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05

wards he halted lowered his sword and
said tauntingly;
Sorry you are leaving us SO soon.
Before Verciun In May. 1915, general
HEADQUARTERS officers insisted that ne
wear a steel helmet He refused.
mo Steel helmets are the privilege
Of the President of the Republic. III
stick to my old felt hat"
Poincare was President OF France al
the time and on his visits to the front
had very wisely followed the ofncers
advice as to helmets Elected despite
the stoutest opposition from Clemen-
ceau and defeating the Tigers canoi-
date. Poincare had always been the
nrerniers target. Not until the arni-
stice did they become reconciled.
Again at Verdun, in 1917, with shells
whistlmg above and exploding all
around. the officer accompanying the
premier requested him to lie nat on the
ground for a few minutes while the
furry passed Clemenceau. pointing 10
the "poiius" nearby and raising himself
to his fun height. asked.
What would they think2'
But you might be killed, insisted
the officer.
1T would be suicide. perhaps, Glenn
enceau replied. with sad smile, SUI
CtOe IOT IONE~~-lOf Tie lbNG VA
Ciemenceau's attitude at the peace
conference was severely criticized by
many of his compatriots, vino charged
him with continuing, during the peace
negotiations with Frances allies and
associates, the same methods OF pro-
cedure which he had employed in
prosecuting the war against the Ger
mans.
His supporters were convinced that
he did the best possible for France
under the circumstances and that ne
fought for his country at the peace
table with as much courage, vtgor and
energy as he had displayed encourag-
ing the poilus" on the battief1elds
Which was exactly what adversaries
OF the Versailles treaty held against
him. II was no longer the time 70
strike. but to caress; no longer any
question OF tearing down, but of build
ing up, they said,
Well-intentioned persons, doubtless,
had depleted the French premier To
President Wilson as real tiger, fero-
cious and brutal with whom II would
be difficuit to deal. His opposition to
the League Of Nations had been eSpe-
cially dwelt upon.
After his first meeting with Clemen-
ceau. President Wilson, who had greatly
tIIluFEd Tic FAElLH wiz 10
reported to have said
We'll, here Is a tiger who appears TO
be much easier to- tame than the ma
iority of his compatriotS imagine"
Taking up journalism at an age
where most editors are thinking of re-
tiring-~he was 50 years old--Clemen-
ceau soon became one of the foremost
newspaper men in France
In the Aurore. OF which he was the
guiding spirit and the active head, he
wrote a series OF sensational articles
demanding revision OF the Dreyfus trial
Between 1893 and 1902. the year In
which he again returned TO the SEN
ate. the man who was TO go down In
history as the father of victory"
demonstrated that he was an able
writer.
His Interesting Works.
Successfully he published number
of most interesting works---'La Melee
Sociale" $3.50. lie Grand Pan" lS9o),
"Au Fil DIES ,JourS" tl900l, Aux EIil-
buScades de la Vie" tla02l, and other
works As dramatist he has written
and produced lie Wolfe du Bonheur,
The real merit OF his literary accom-
pllshments caused him many times to
be mentioned and proposed as mem
her Of the French Academy. He always
refused 10 be q candidate,
After the amistice his friends, desplte
his protest, forced his election as one
Of the Forties. He declined 70 be of1-
cially received and did not attend any
OF the meetings,
During the war his friends were
bringing pressure upon nm, urging Nun
10 try to be elected to the seat lelt
vacant by the death Of jules LemAitre,
M seat In the French Academy De.
eon,es vacant save through demise OF
the occupant, ..
Jules Iemaitre's seat? Not on your
lifel'i reared the Tiger.
.yueil what seat would you Want?"
lnouired his friends somewhat SUR
Srnincare's," retorted Clemeneean,
..France was saved three times during
the war. three great French names VIII
sa down forever In history; The Marine, !
warann and Clemenceau prominent
member OF Parliament told me recently
what about FochF" We suggested |
"'rhere should have been no need or
poeh or any other French military lead |
~ In 1919, had not Clemenceau assumed
mower in i1i7 the war would have been |
over the Germans in Paris, replied the
deputy. ,.,... !
This IA an indication of the popularity |
of the mar, nov we'll on hiS way 10 four |
score years and ten and stlll ready TO
fght on behalf OF France,