THE TIGER PURRS

"The fruit of the meditations of a whole lifetime." With these words M. Georges Clemenceau describes the three-volume philosophical work which he has just completed. The appearance of this book, which is not expected until ten years after the death of M. Clemenceau, will be eagerly expected by all who love to pry into the minds of great men, but they are likely to be disappointed.

That a man whose experience in world affairs has been as wide as Clemenceau's should deliberately decide not to mention in his volumes the political events in which he figured seems unfair. What ever abstract conclusions he may set down, the breath of life goes out of them when they are not definitely connected with human events. Men study the writings of great figures in history chiefly to gain the man's opinion of the events in which he figured, not to be regaled by philosophical abstractions. When a man passes eighty years, as M. Clemenceau has, the fruit of his abstract meditations is more than likely to be over-ripe.

The decision not to publish the work until ten years after his death must not be taken too seriously. Mark Twain inserted that there were things in his autobiography which would cause a revolution if printed earlier than the year 2000, yet his work has been found more tame than epochal. Mr. Clemenceau may merely to perpetrating a Gallie hoax.