SUCCESS ASSURED

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 12

SUCCESS ASSURED

TARDIEU'S VIEW OF PEACE

ESSENTIAL NATURE OF THE

LEAGUE.

Captain. Andre Tardieu, the French High. Commissioner for Franco-American war matters; Marshal Foch and Mr. Robert Lansing, the American Secretary of State, were speakers at a dinner given in honour of the American peace delegation by the French press at the inter-Allied- Press Club in. March.

Marshal Foch received an ovation when he rose to speak. He told of the situation in Europe a year ago, and, after reviewing the movement of the American troops to France, recounted the battles in which they had participated. Ho paid a high tribute to General Pershing, who was among those present, and concluded with a toast to the entire American contingent. Mr. William G. Sharp, the retiring American Ambassador, spoke of the League of Nations, saying it-was his belief that the overwhelming majority of Americans favoured the. plan which furnished the only hope for perpetuating peace. He declared that the .world needed France and would do everything in its power to protect and preserve her. Captain Tardieu, in his address, said: "On behalf of all those present here I extend an affectionate welcome to the American delegation to the Peace Conference. For a Frenchman this is the sweetest of duties.

"America, our sister, knows that our hearts have beaten in unison for more than a century and a half, and' it is . a particularly pleasant duty for me, as I nave been for more than two years, day by day, hour by hour, collaborator and friend of the guests whom we entertain to-night.

"Of the great work, in which we are all labouring together, half is on the way, and its success is certain.' Although the negotiations are nofc finished we feel today that peace has been won. We feel it for many reasons, but. one of the reasons sums up the others, this reason being that it is already certain that our common ideal will find, its expression in tho material settlement, which, we have to prepare, and this is of capital importance. "What I said on 11th January last, on the eve of the opening of the conference, I repeat to-night: The Treaty of Peace and the League of Nations can only be one question, and I say that the League of Nations can be founded' only upon the Treaty of Peace, and on the ether hand the very principles on which the League will be founded will give their lasting value to the clauses of the treaty. "It must be pointed out with justice that the common will of ths Governments wanted it, and to impose that will they had to struggle almost everywhere against the forces of incomprehension, against political intrigues, and often against the imprudence of newspaper men. "The success which the Governments have achieved in remaining faithful to themselves has not been an easy success, and .by maintaining unbroken ideals and facts these have rendered a, service which will be. recognised' later. "1 mean to present, although. ' you know them, the obstacles put forward into the light of publicity. One day the 'realistics' accuse of being illusionists those -who desire that in the „ Peace Treaty of to-morrow a.n idealistic section should be included with tbo material clauses.

"Then, we have 'politicians,' who; preaching egotism to a. democracy of 100,000,000 souls, give them insidious ad-, vices not to carry their responsibilities into the future of the world, and. stilt many others, biased counsellors. Absurdities are lies; involuntary errors are perfidious manoeuvres; there are combinations of political parties; sometimes perhaps it is the underhand work of the oneray.

"We have known alt that, and it has created at certain periods in the public mind about the conference a cloud of suspicion. But here is the sun rising and" beginning to disperse the cloud, and shortly, ef all that, there will remain only a bad remembrance.

"Our aim is clear and simple. We mean to place the maximum of obstacles betjveen the idea of war and the act of war."

Captain Tardieu. then explained those things which had guided and inspired the associated delegates in preparing a Lea.quo of Nations for the necessities of the world, and concludedl:— "Gentlemen.: a fow weeks— and I proclaim here my confidence—wo shall bring to all honest peoples-, to all just peoples, a new element of hope and faith; a. new and decisive reason to believe in the progress of humanity and 'to work for it without any honest people being deprived of any material guarantee, or any of those guarantees of which. France, more than any other nation, knows the necessity."