Evening star., 1945-01-13
History Seen Repeated
In Vondenberg Speech
Clemenceau Made Same Point on
Aggression, Writer Recalls
BY Dapid Laurence

ny AupIU laurence
History has a strange way of repeat
ing itself, and the remarkable speech by
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan, Re-
publican, proposing treaty between
Great Britain, the United States and
Russia to prevent the rise of German
aggression after the end of the present
war recalls an interesting parallel which
occurred in the summer of 1919
Premier Clemenceau of France was
worried about the rebirth of German
aggression, and he made almost exactly
the same argument then that Senator
Vandenberg makes today. President
Wilson recognized the force of that
argument, as did Prime Minister Lloyd
George of Great Britain. Both agreed
to submit to their respective parliaments
treaty of guarantee. The British
Parliament ratified the treaty unani-
mously, but the United States Senate
did not even consider it, because the
companion pact, the Versailles Treaty.
had failed of ratification by six votes.
In that special guarantee treaty the
United States declared itself bound to
come Immediately to the assistance of
France in the event of any unprovoked
movement Of aggression made by Ger
many"
! 15-Year Occupation.
In consideration of this pledge by
Great Britain. and the United States,
Premier Clemenceau agreed that the
occupation by France of the left bank
Of the Rhine would last only Is years,
and therefore Withdrew his demand that
there be created an independent Rhine
land, and that the Rhine should form
the western frontier of Germany-the
left bank and so kilometers on the right
bank being demilitarized or forbidden to
German troops.
In the memoirs of Andre Tardieu, and
also in the book of memoirs by Premier
Clemenceau, there is set forth clearly
the confidence of France that the guar
antee of assistance offered her by Brit
ain and the United States would assure
European peace by preventing the re-
birth Of German aggression. Both Great
Britain and the United States, it was
recognized at the time, had never before
drafted any treaty proposing to commit
themselves to military action in advance
1t was realized that the British Par
lament and the American Senate would
have to ratify the treaty, and it was
the contention of NJ Clemenceau in his
memoirs that because the United States
Gid not ratify the special guarantee
treaty, France had the right to continue
to occupy the Rhineland
The Is years to which M. Clemenceau
referred expired in 1885, and then in
November, 1886, when Hitler marched
into the Rhineland, France protested
but in vain. She found no military help
from either Russia or Britain, and
Hitler was on his way to the series of
aggressive steps which brought on this
war. Thus the chain of events shows
clearly that had the Republican party
in the United States Senate been led
by man like Senator Vandenberg in
the summer of 1919 the whole course of
history might have been changed.
Same View as wilson's.
Today Senator Vandenberg proposes
that the United States agree in advance
with Russia and Great Britain to take
immediate steps to prevent the rebirth
OF German aggression. He, too, sug-
gests that this be done as a step sep
arate and distinct from the new League
Of Nations, arguing that it should re-
main in effect until the League of Ma
tions itself is able to assure the peace
Of the world by its own force This was
precisely Mr.. Wilson's view.
M. Clemenceau, writing in 1880, ex-
pressed himself vehemently. not because
he was able to prophesy the outbreak
of another European war but because
he was rebuked by M Poincare for
having failed to get better guarantees
in advance of the treaty against Ger
man aggression.
He was reprimanded for not having
first insisted that the United States
ratify this guarantee pact before agree
ing to any terms of peace with Germany.
His answer was that this would have
embarrassed President Wilson and the
negotiators Of the peace.
Could Premier Clemenceau and Presi-
| dent Wilson have lived to read the
| great speech of Senator Vandenbers
nearly Is years after their historic dis
cussion in Paris, they would have con-
| sidered themselves vindicated.
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