Evening star., 1937-03-27
By Mary.Carter Roberts.

ARDLY q week passes now
IL without a volume OF memoirs
coming from the pen OF q
4 L veteran foreign correspond
ent Naturally. they cover pretty
much the same ground. Naturally
too, they all contain records Of events
which the author was unable to re-
port at the time of the happening
1t rs interesting, when one is reading
the whole procession, to note what
different things have remained in the
minds OF different men as desirable tc
be told-now that telling is possible.
Wythe Williams has been a foreign
correspondent for the past Is years
In which time he has written for the
New York Times. the New York
World. the Northcliffe press, the
Philadelphia Public Ledger and nu-
merous magazines. At the end OF
this very conspicuous record OF service
he has several memories which,
plainly, he feels need to be put before
the public. One cQncerns the choice
of the French general who succeeded
Gen. Joffre in 1916, when the hero OF
the Marne was relegated to the hon.
orable ohscurity Of his marshalship.
Another concerns the part played by
Col. House in the negotiations leading
up to the Versailles treaty. And still
another relates to the war leadership
of Clemenceau. Mr.. Williams book
covers much more ground than is in
dicated by these three episodes, but
when he writes of Gen. NiVelle, OF
Col. House and the Tiger, he writes
with personal warmth and in the
manner of champion OF truth. The
chapters given over to these three
men are the most absorbing parts of
his wholly brilliant book.
As to the appointment of Gen.
Nivelle to succeed Gen. Joffre in 1915,
Mr.. Williams makes no less sensa-
tional charge than that complica-
tions rising from that appointment
prolonged the war for more than a
year. It might have ended, he says,
in April, 1917, If Gen. Nevilles bril-
liantly conceived offensive had been
carried out. Political enemies of the
general, however, interfered to call
the drive OF on the very day on which
the German command, thinking its
armies beaten, had given the order to
fall back The result was prolonga-
ton of the war, and Americas subse-
quent entry.
It is not a charge loosely made,
but one to which goodly number OF
pages are given, the proof being that
Gen. Neville, after his court-martial
and removal, sent for Mr.. Williams
and placed before him every phase
Of the battle Of 1917 with the aid OF
large-scale maps bearing the official
seal of the Grand QUARTER General.
Also the original text, as we'll as official
copies OF kilograms and letters that
had passed between the High Com
mands OF the French and British
armies and between the Governments
of France and England-signed with
such names as Haig, Lloyd George
and other leaders"
Gen. Nevelle stipulated that the
source of the information should not
be revealed during his life. 1t is only
now, says Mr.. Williams, that he tells
the complete story, although he raised
the issue before.
7 TITLE by little, of course, the world
learns what hands moved the
puppets which. at the time. were fond
ly thought to be working spontane-
ously, and this depressing story of a
great and brilliant of11cer being broken
to crafty politicians is only one Of a
number Of like revelations which in
recent years have surprised and dis
gusted the people. But impressive be-
yond the personal tragedy is the fact
that Gen. Nivelle's offensive was sue
ceeding when it was recalled, and that,
II it had not been recalled, 1t would
have ended the war with military
victory-xtill in the European stage.
Had the unfortunate general had
friends instead Of enemies at court (he
was too much Of gentleman for this,
saws Mr.. Williams, America would
never have been involved in the late
conflict-or so the present work de-
clares.
For this reason, as well as for the
sake Of clearing reputation, the
chapters relating the Vaccinations be-
hind the Nivelle offensive are included
in the work. For Mr.. Williams theme
is that America, by having taken part
in the World War, has come TO a po-
sition in which world leadership Is
within her grasp The dusk OF en-
pire" OF which he writes is the dusk OF
European ascendancy. 1t now lies be-
fore US to decide what part we will
play. The same choice, he says, was
before us at Versailles, but then,
through President Wilson'S tactiess-
ness Tin this authors opinion), we let
the opportunity go by.
1t is in this connection that he takes
up the case of Col. House, whose
knowledge Of European diplomatic
practices far exceeded President Will
sons. and whose advice, he says, If 1t
had been followed, would have made
unlikely the break with the Senate
which subsequently prevented the rat
tfication Of the treaty.
"As Wilson's closest adviser says
Mr.. Williams the colonel expected
naturally TO be chosen a member of
the peace delegation. Also he had
reason to feel that he should be its
chief. For his principal aids, how
ever. House wanted William Howard
Taft and Elihu Root. Then the
delegation would have an all-Ameri-
can complexion, regardless of party,
and with Republicans having as much
10 say as the Democrats. This view
WAS cabled to Wilson in strong terms,
but went unheeded. ="
AS a result Of the Presidents deter
nination TO act on his own conVlc-
tions-in trifles, unfortunately, as well
ss in great issues-America lost the
prestige which her part in the war
had won her. and took an ambiguous
place among the nations. This is the
contention Of the present book. The
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