Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
New Era i'm French Politics


from their places and to deal with
actualities.
Upon Tardieu's return from America
in 1918 1t was Clemenceau, the man
who first had pinned faith on the brill
liant young journalist, who called Tar
dieu to act as his right-hand man dur
ing the peace treaty negotiations. Again
1t was Tardieu who wrote pages upon
pages of the treaty itself. From that
close association with the making of
peace Tardieu became so inspired by the
letter of the Versailles Treaty that his
insistence upon 1t almost ruined his flu
ture political career. He became Ver-
sailles' ardent defender He accused
first BRAND and Poirfcare-curiously
enough, the men with whom he has re-
Gently elaborated most cordially-of
mutilating its application. For q time
he was even more natiOnalistic and ex-
tremist in his views than Poincare at
the time of the Ruhr. And this We
hement adhesion to the Versailles
| Treaty became so pronounced that Poin-
care himself once declared: You have
only to mention the Treaty of Versailles
and Tardieu jumps to his feet and says,
| PRESENT."
Already Marked Man.
But already Tardieu had become a
marked man-marked as a man whn
knew his own mind. From 1914 to 1924
with the exception of the two years he
was In the Clemeneeau cabinet-he re-
manned doggedly in the opposition. He
refused an offer of q portfolio in the
| Millerand cabinet. He refused the
presidency of the Preparations Commits
| cabinet and in 1922 turned down q
similar offer from Poincare. He was. IL
seemed, sharpening his personal power,
hammering the will within him upon
| the grindstone Of the deputy on the out
side. II that was his purpose, he sue
| ceeded.
Finally, in 1924, the rise of the cartel
lists resulted in Tardieu's defeat for re-
election, and he withdrew from politics,
quietly but firmly announcing his de-
cision to let that experience end his po-
litical career. But the scent Of battle
and the need of decisive leaders In the
Chamber proved too much for Tardieu.
In the Spring Of 1926 he re-entered the
| lists at Belfort, and in IS days he had
swept 1T public meetings before him,
and despite Socialist cartelist oppose
ton was overwhelmingly elected.
Here, then, was the man who had
been in the Chamber but few months
during the catastrophe avalanche OF
cabinets and the franc, to whom Poin-
care Immediately turned in the crisis OF
| July, 1926-and who this time consent
ed to accept portfolio. He was man
of no party, an outsider, a maverick
| yet his presence was felt indispensable.
1t has soon shown to be so. For Tar
dieu, tempered by his two years of pri-
vate life, his observation Of the dangers
| to France and the follies of the Cham
Der of Deputies, had lost much Of his
| youthful extremist disposition. As
| minister of public works the merchant
marine and liberated regions. Tardieu
went swiftly, decisively to work. His
post was not an outstanding one, yet he
| made it SO.
Early in 1897 a dispute between
| miners and mine owners in Northern
France after six months of controversy
! threatened to result in a strike as seri-
GUS as that which had just shaken
| British industry to its foundations.
| Tardieu stepped into the breach and
acted as negotiator between mine own
! ers and workmen. He secured increased
| nay for the miners and averted the
strike in brilliant negotiations which
attracted nationwide attention.
Work Of Reconstruction.
In the reconstruction of liberated
regions his direction was equally note
| worthy, and it was no surprise when
| the cabinet was reshaped year ago
| that the nation saw Tardieu as the new
holder of a responsible post-the min
| lister of the interior. From that day
| to this 1t has been only a question Of
| the premiership. Throughout the Ma
tional Union ministry's tremendous
lahors of reconstruction, it was Tardieu
| who always stood as middleman be-
| tween Poincare and BRAND. 1t was
Tardieu who with these two formed .
powerful trinity in the Chamber which
| time and again killed budding moves
for the overthrow OF the government;
| 1t was Tardieu whom friends and
enemies alike recognized must even
tually come to power-yet he himself
never moved to hasten that moment.
Even on the evening he was called
| by Doumergue few weeks ago to form
a ministry, Tardieu expected BRAND to
be called, and in justice to him 1t must
be said that he would have preferred
1t. But once called, Tardieu did not
turn back. He accepted the task. went
energstically to work and presented
France with the most concise, most
thoroughly rounded out and at the
same time the most shrewd ministerial
declaration that has been read in the
Chamber in 80 years. Here was q man,
said the French workingman, who
would carry out any program he set
himself to achieve.
1t is quite possible that Tardieu's
ministry will be shortlived. But of
! greater interest is the fact that Tardieu
stands as a man and as a chosen leader
of the Chamber and will remain I'M
touched by any premature fall that
may come to his cabinet. If his present
government falls it will In no sense be
| n FaAa0tin1 To- hut rof hof
the Chamher's condemnation of the
methods BRAND has employed in push
ing his policy relative to the Young
plan and the Rhineland evacuation.
Thus 1t is recognized In France that
the passing of the first Tardieu mine
: istry will be but prelude to the real
place the man viii bold IN Frances