Very good sword-play. But had Clemenceau kept cool, as he certainly would have done on the duel ground, there might have been no harm done. However, he burst out into furious denunciation, exasperated by the ringing cheers which greeted his opponent's conclusion. It was M. Delcassé's fault that France had to go to Algeciras. M. Delcassé would have carried things with a high hand. "But the army was not ready, the navy was not ready. I have not humiliated France: M. Delcassé has humiliated her." A purely personal note, disclosing facts that were the more bitter to the Assembly inasmuch that they were true. It was indecent--that was the sensation that ran round the House--for a Premier thus to expose the weakness of his country on a personal issue, no matter what provocation he may have received. The hostile vote, therefore, was given against Clemenceau himself, not against his Government, and he promptly resigned. Had he desired to bring about his own overthrow he would have acted precisely as he did; and some thought that this was his intention. It was an unworthy conclusion to a Premiership which, whatever its shortcomings, had done extremely good work for the Republic, and to a Government which had lasted longer than any French Administration since the downfall of the Empire. The character and leadership of the Ministry under M. Briand, which succeeded Clemenceau's Cabinet, proved that only by his own fault had he ensured his official downfall. As usual, he turned round at once to other work, and accepted an engagement to speak throughout South America, publishing a pleasant record of his experiences in an agreeably written book. The Prime Minister of yesterday was the genial lecturer the day after. NOTE.--It was said at the time that M. Briand's intrigues in the lobbies were the real cause of Clemenceau's defeat and resignation. Lately this has been confirmed to me on good authority. At any rate, M. Briand benefited. It was he who succeeded his chief. H. M. H. CHAPTER XVII CLEMENCEAU AND GERMANY