Χ.

PREMIER CLEMENCEAU IN THE HALL OF MIRRORS AT VERSAILLES IN 1919 ASKING THE GERMAN
DELEGATES TO COME FORWARD AND SIGN THE PEACE TREATY

See opposite page for picture of Bismarck proclaiming, in the same place, in 1870, the German Empire

"The day was stormy. We left generalities; and the necessity of arriving precisely at facts gave rise to hot discussion. Count Bismarck then, with some signs of embarrassment, began to remind me of the sum of six milliards mentioned the previous day, and described it as very modest, since, he said, the mere cost of the war came to four milliards.

"I showed him that this was utterly impossible; that in France, where expenditure was all the time heavier than in Prussia, the cost of the war in itself only came to about two milliards, which we found enormous; and that if this year we were faced with a deficit of three milliards, it was because to the two milliards cost of the war there must be added at least a milliard for bridges, broken-down tunnels, roads to be repaired, necessary indemnities, railway transports, and finally, the loss of at least one-third of the year's taxes; that in no case could it be brought up to four milliards; with six milliards there would be at least three milliards of profit for Prussia, which would turn the war indemnity into a mere financial speculation.

"Count Bismarck replied that the war had cost more in Prussia than in France, because they had had to bring everything from Germany. I replied that we also had immense transport operations, and that besides, the Prussians had seized on all the resources of our soil, and what they had taken possession of on the spot was ample equivalent for all the cost of their transport.

"The Count seemed to set particular store by the money. He declared, with some temper, that the figures on which the indemnity had been calculated came to him from Prussia; that on this occasion he was only a mouthpiece, etc.; and that he could not settle anything before telegraphing to Berlin. It was agreed then that he should telegraph, and that when he received the answer from Berlin, he would send special envoys to treat with me on this point. This incident terminated our interview."

Then came a third meeting at which Jules Favre, the French Foreign Minister, was present. Thiers says:

"We set out, M. Jules Favre and myself, in a very uneasy mind. We were determined to present a kind of ultimatum, to hold fast to it, and to make an end, since the armistice expired at midnight on Sunday. We found Count Bismarck very ill, but sufficiently calm, to all appearances. Coming back to the question of territory, we spoke of Metz before everything else, Metz, the city that was French par excellence. "Count Bismarck told us that he considered it highly impolitic to drive France to despair, and that he had opposed Count Roon's project of seizing two-thirds of Lorraine, that we were to lose only a very small fraction of it, but that there was no possibility of leaving Metz to us. 'In Germany,' he said, 'they accuse me of losing the battles Count Moltke has won. Do not ask me for impossibilities.'

"It was evident that the decision on this head was irrevocably fixt, and that we must reserve our energies to save the eastern frontier.

We next went on to the question of the money.

I feared that Count Bismarck might take his stand upon his sum total of six milliards, and refuse to abandon it. He told us, calmly enough, that he had telegraphed to Berlin, that they had again insisted afresh on the amount of expenditure incurred, on the widows and orphans whose pensions we were expected to pay, on the maintenance of the prisoners, on the necessity of giving the southern States their share; but in the end that they had stopt at a total of five milliards, from which they would make no deduction. I perceived that on this point a rupture would probably be the result of discussion. Count Bismarck was inflexible.

"Upon the question of Belfort, I entered upon a struggle that I shall remember as long as I live. Belfort is the eastern frontier; in fact, if the Prussian troops were to come by Verdun and Metz, the South German troops would always come by Belfort, especially if the neutrality of Switzerland were violated. I spoke, then, of Belfort. Count Bismarck said at once that this fortress was in Alsace, and that it was decided that the whole of Alsace should be transferred to Germany. Throughout two hours, now with menaces, now with entreaties, I declared that I would never let Belfort go.

"'No,' I cried, 'I will never surrender both Metz and Belfort. You mean to ruin France in her finances, ruin her on her frontiers! Well, take her, administer the country, levy the taxes! We shall retire, and you will have to govern her in the eyes of the whole of Europe, if Europe permits.'

"I was desperate. Count Bismarck, taking my hands, said to me: Believe me, I have done all I could; but as for leaving you part of Alsace, it is quite impossible.'

"I sign this very instant,' I rejoined, 'if you give me Belfort. If not, nothing! nothing, but the last extremities, whatever they may be.' "Beaten, exhausted, Count Bismarck then said to me: 'If you will, I shall make an effort with the King; but I do not believe it will zucceed.'

"Immediately he wrote two letters, which he dispatched, one to the King, the other to Count Moltke. 'I ask Moltke,' said he, ‘for we must get him on our side; without him we shall obtain nothing.'

Half an hour passed. Every sound of footsteps in the ante-chamber made our hearts leap. At length the door opens. We are told that the King is out of doors, and that Count Moltke is not at his house. The King will not come back until four o'clock. No one knows when Moltke will return. We decide to wait, for to go away without having settled the question would be to lose.

"Count Bismarck leaves us to go to dinner, and we pass an hour, M. Jules Favre and I, in inexpressible anxiety. Count Bismarck appears again. The King has come back, but does not wish to decide without having seen Count Moltke. Count Moltke arrives. Count Bismarck leaves us to go and talk with him. Their conversation seems very long Count Bismarck returns, satisfaction in his face.

to us. "Moltke is on our side,' said he; 'he will turn the King.' A fresh wait of three-quarters of an hour. Count Bismarck goes to find out

what Count Moltke reports. After a long talk with him he at length comes back, and, his hand on the key of the door, he says to us: 'I have an alternative to propose to you. Which will you have, Belfort or the abandonment of our entry into Paris?'

"I do not hesitate for a moment, and with a look to M. Jules Favre, who divines my feeling and shares it: 'Belfort! Belfort!' I cried. The entry of the Germans into Paris must needs be a cruel blow to our pride, a danger to us who hold the reins of government; but our country before everything!

"Count Bismarck rejoins Count Moltke, and at length brings us the definite concession of Belfort, on conditions that we will give up four little villages on the confines of Lorraine, where eight or ten thousand Prussians are buried. We respect this religious regard of the monarch for his soldiers. We had left Paris at eleven in the forenoon; we leave Versailles at half-past nine at night, having saved Belfort for France. From ten o'clock until midnight we hold a sitting of the Commission. We relate everything to them, and receive their thanks for our efforts.''