New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-17
G.ffBEIT.fS LETTER.

Gambotta'S letter 10 a COuncilor-Gcncril,
fn which prominence was given IN Yesterday
cable dispatches, expresses thought that IS
in every Frcncinman S mind to-day, whether II
was written in 1871 or 1850. Thet Thought
is this: The Republic must regain what the
Emprc lost "Franccn he says, will be per
united to resume without prccipltaucy the
"adyancod rank which belongs to her in The
"Norld to regain the provinces violently tom
"fr3m her, aud OF Ter restored integrity ID
make pied .cs for the peace Oi Europe In
like manner, he reminded the people OF Lille
wear ago that he had once written TO jules
Fayrc: We must nave A>ace and Lorraine,
(which have been Nrcstod from rs by violence,
"but which we must not Tor one single moment
"cc1se to cAdeayOr to tear from the tl'onS that
hold them fast" This is the supreme aim of
The only foreign policy which Gdmbelia deems
worthy OF The Republic.
The Dictator was not ready Tor peace
when it was negotiated 10y ihieis and Idygc.
He had sent into the field 600 600 men after
the la tile Of Sedan, and Wdo confident that
within few months he could drive the Ger
mans ont o. france. The author Oi political
biography published within Il yeor maintains
;h.t il Gambctta had been properly supported
By Iii, Gcuc,als the d4as c,s OF the war would
have been Iclri. we'd by his snuerhHman emerge
and the Canp. OF defeat would have become
the CainDi Of victory. b This rs il my, he
was the last and almost the only hero of that
hamilatin- campaign, iOr tle Generals had
been yfrQli~hcd one after another, while he
was still in the field, when he YVES diSirmcd
by his associates Nine Yeas have passed,
during which France has been more OF Il bdrrack
than she WAS under thc Empire. Why has the
artillery been lccaSt! WHY has the whole mill
tary system been reOrFanized Why has COM
pulSoIy service been introduced why have
Tie baId,ns OF the banack life and military
budgets been born, by all classes without Il
muImurl The maH who denounced the arms
tee as treason against France knows the
reason. The letter may be new or Old, Out 1t
gives the sign, not Tor single twci'emonth,
but for whole generation.
Il gives the sign. moreover, at a time when
France is tempted to join England and the
Powers in a naval demonstration similar - that
which brought dclivcrance to Greece fifty years
ago Gambctta las never been Turk in his
sympathcs, as Theirs undoubtedly was, but
neither has he been Greek since the Con-
EIeSS Oh 1910. ne ~ hiuIpIJ iNiINiHdi NJ
cannot forget the Disgrace OF Sedan. He is
willing to stand by aad look on while Wad
dincton and De Freyclnet champion the cause
OF the Greeks in the councils or Europe; but
when BeacOnsieid gives place to Il Gladstone
in England and the chatter of diplomacy is
succeeded by the DIN of European armamonts
and the menace of coercion. he draws back and
chances toward the Rhine. 4" Has France" he
seems to ask, taught to gain from another
"Navarin0? If the English Premier be enam
"ored Of Phil -iIclrnsn, let him send his fleet
"to Constantinoplc or give up Cyprus i'll cx-
change for Thessaiy. As for France, she came
-out of TIE Berlin Congress empty handed, and
"her interests in the East are purely sentlmen-
"ta The objective point of her foreign policy
"lcs close at hand-in Alsace and Lorraine.
"Those provinces must be rcgaincd. That is
cher tue foreign policy, and there is none
"eIse" This is what Gambeita seems to say, rs
he chances toward The Rhine.