Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
POINCARE AND BRIANDLAST
OF PUBLIC FIGURES OF 1914
Retiring Premier Credited With Saving
Franc in Economic Stress After War.
Successor Wins Cermany's Confidence.

Germ. HIS personality quite As nt1ch
as the detectives he has sought has
something very close to moral hege-
mony in Europe. and through the
League of Nations both the Germans
and the English have complained that
their foreign ministers. Stresemann and
Chamberlain have surrendered to the
charm of BRAND and served the tn
terests Of France too well.
And while Chamberlain has dis
appeared and been replaced by Hender-
son, behind whom stands Ramsay Mac
Donald. still directly concerned with
foreign affairs, one may very well dues-
ton If British policy will show any real
change. or. for that matter. French
prestige and influence suffer any real
dininution. For BRAND. although he
has in recent years been most closely
associated with more or less nationalistic
most OF his old liberal and even radical
sympathies that he brought to Paris
so long ago.
BRAND Is Weary.
Perhaps the single doubtful circunn-
stance is Brands health. He Is mani
testify growing old. Eleven previous
governments. at least one during the
terrible days of the war, have taken
their toll. In Geneva Of late he has
shown his age and disclosed a disturb
ing WEAKNESS. But he too has q more
or less fixed goal ahead. AS Poincsre
endured and continued until the task
of financial rehabilitation was finished,
BRAND patiently seeks to hold on until
the political job is complete. In the
war he was plainly lacking in the stuff
that made Clemenceau the father of
victory, in the financial crisis Of 1926
t,if ~ h c
own field Of pacification he has, by
contrast. steadily gained new prestige
and achieved fresh triumphs.
While IT. is true that Poincare has
viSibly learned much since the Ruhr
days and has abandoned many Of his
old theses, it remains true that he Is
by reason Of both his reputation and
his personal qualities, as little suited
to represent his country In peace con-
ference as was Clemenceau. Actually
he lacks the force of the Tiger and
the suppleness and subtlety of BRAND.
He has great tenacity and q certain
courage in the defense of a definite
thesis. but he cannot understand popu-
lar or political psychology. and in the
presence of the unexpected for which
he has not prepared. he Is hesitant
and very tinid.
Poincare's Future Work.
Europe as well as France therefore
gains by change which follows not
failure but shining success. Poincare
will now return to his modest country
place, recently restored following the
ruin wrought by German artillery
planted about Fort Camp des Romans,
and within plain view of st. Mihiel.
! That he will enjoy great popular ap.
I proval is unlikely: on the contrary, he
2 faf -
! Clemenceau. but. on the other hand
I like the Tiger. his place in history, less
! shining perhaps but not less solid, Ia
assured
And one may recall with q certain
interest that precisely IS years before
the hour when Poincare resigned ONCE.
he was surprised on his journey back
from Petersburg. where as French
President he was returning the visit
Of the Gar, and arrived In France
only TO find war already irrevocable
He has described this period In several
volumes significantly entitled I'm the
Service OF France" One may wish
that he may have the strength as he
is now assured the leisure. to complete
the series with the personal narrative
of the restoration of French financial
strength.
BRAND. and Poincare. too, are the
last conspicuous veterans of 1914 In
public life. Stresemann. although q
figure nationally in the prewar age, IS
postwar development internationally.
Macdonald was the obscure leader Of
an insignificant party before the con-
fiict. MuSsolini was nobody. Stain
was unknown. Baldwin was business
Z, man. winston Churchill was. to be
sure. first-rate sensation in the sec
! ond rank as he remains. Lloyd George.
! too. fingers on the stage which he once
! dominated but he has shrunk to rather
| pitiful proportions by comparison either
with BRAND. who was his friend. or
| Poincare. who was his uncompromiSing
opponent.
! And now Poincare steps aside, If not
actually off the stage, while BRAND
plainly prepares for what may well be
! for him the final entrance. as he must
seek, to make 1t the very epilogue Of
| the World War drama.
Downright. 1927