Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
Intimate, Paying Clemenceau Tribute,
Calls ''Tiger" PhilosOphic Pessimist

Before the conference opened he
used to talk of the dif1iculties of max
ing a good peace:
To make war-that is easy enough
All that is needed in men, money and
material the country will furnish rather
than perish. You need only to give
orders and not to lose your head. But
to make peace, and especially to prac-
ttce it, is very difficult and very COM
plicated. The French know well enough
how to die for their country. Will they
know how to live for it?'
And he added:
What strikes me, when I look in
our streets at the trophies of Louis XIV
and Napoleon, is that the former repre-
sent the Peace of Utrecht and the lat
ter two invasions, Waterloo and the
treaties of Vienna. When will our
country, happier than Hannibal, know
how to profit from victory?'
This Frenchman, in whom shone 50
conspicuously two master qualities of
our people, loved France passionately.
He loved 1t as did the great patriots of
the Revolution, whom he had wor-
SHIPPED in his youth. I see him now
showing caller at the War Ministry
chaSsepot with its antique bayonet
This gun, he said, belonged to
one Of the men who hated men most
and whom hated most in return. We
even fought duel. 1t is the gun which
Deroulede carried in 1870. His sister
brought 1t to me q souvenir of his, on
Armisttce day I have not changed
my opinion about his politics. But he
was a man of heart and one who loved
his country
Called Misanthrope and Ironist.
IN. Clemenceau was that and more
This misanthrope and this ironist in
carnated, in the gravest hours, the
heroic soul of France"
Another writer, M. Jean Martet, Of
fered-alSo in lie Journal-Some new
information about the relations between
Clemenceau and Foch-relations which
will, perhaps, always remain a subject
OF controversy among historians. Re-
plying to Lloyd Georges charge that
Clemenceau had little to do with the
movement to make Foch generalissimo
Of the allied forces. he said
The truth is that M. Clemenceau
always had higher esteem for Petain's
personality than for Foch's. Up to the
March 26, 1918, it is manifest that he
saw in Petain the great chief of the
French armies and the man through
whom, sooner or later, victory would
come. He was slowly preparing for the
ACoAAdtAOAl Va JAlc Su1Blc command, ana
l believe that II the events of March
rs had not been produced, If there had
been no Doullens, which was, perhaps
the most decisive day Of the war, Petain
would have been charged with Co
ordination OF the allied armies on the
western 'front.'
Took Up FOch After DOuIIens.
"But Doullens came along, and on
that day Petatn, an intelligence grave
and Somber, took account exactly, alas
OF the difficulties OF the task. Foch, on
his side, was Foch; that is to saw as
M. Clemenceau told me, "a man raging
to fight
And Immediately M. Clemenceau
thought, and said:
II see but one man who can save
us. 1t is Foch.'
Then the meeting was held at which
Foch received his full powers.
M. Lloyd George declares that on
this occasion M. Clemenceau's role was
negative. What does he know about it?
He was not there. The head of the
British delegation was Lord Miner.
Now the latter has told in detail what
happened; and he pays a brilliant trib-
ute to M. Clemenceau.
! M. Clemenceau, after he had recoQ-
nized in Foch the predestined man.
who ought to snatch victory out of a
desperate situation, pushed him for
ward with diplomacy, but also with
obstinate and untiring persistence.
There Is something more
AT the end of May we suffered the
hard blow on the Chemin- des- Danes
French opinion became suspicious OF
Foch. Parliament demanded an investi-
cation and action. What did M. Glenn
enceau do? 1t was the session of the
Chamber CT Deputies on June /, 1918
He mounted the tribune and said:
g Nothing has happened which per-
mitS me to exercise any discipline
against anybody. II it Is necessary, in
order to obtain the appreciation of GER
tain people who judge hastily, to aban-
don chiefs who have deserved we'll OF
their country, 1t is an act Of cowardice
of which 1 am incapable. Do not ex-
pect me to commit It. Chase me from
the tribune II that is what you wish.
"Foch was saved. Four months Later
on October 2, M. Lloyd George sent tho
marshal sincere fluctuations on Tho
latter's birthday. Foch answered: II an
greatly touched. etc. shall never for.
get that II was TO your insistence that
I owe the post which hold today
That was the marshal's thanks h
M. Clemenceau."