ii FROM THE TREATY TO CONFERENCE OF LONDON 21

the extreme defenders of the literal integrity of theTreaty of Versailles, M. Poincare , M. Tardieu, andM. Klotz, still in opposition. The projects of Boulogneand Brussels were thrown into the melting-pot, andanother conference was summoned to meet at Parisat the end of January 1921.

It was at first doubtful whether the proceedingsmight not terminate with a breach between the Britishand the French points of view. Mr. Lloyd George was justifiably incensed at having to surrender mostof the ground which had seemed definitely gained atBoulogne ; with these fluctuations negotiation was awaste of time and progress impossible. He was alsodisinclined to demand payments from Germany whichall the experts now thought impossible. For a fewdays he was entirely unaccommodating to the Frenchcontentions; but as the business proceeded hebecame aware that M. Briand was a kindred spirit,and that, whatever nonsense he might talk in public,he was secretly quite sensible. A breach in theconversations might mean the fall of Briand and theentrance to office of the wild men, Poincare andTardieu, who, if their utterances were to be takenseriously and were not merely a ruse to obtain office,might very well disturb the peace of Europe beforethey could be flung from authority. Was it notbetter that Mr. Lloyd George and M. Briand, bothsecretly sensible, should remain colleagues at theexpense of a little nonsense in unison for a short