The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-20
FRANCE NOT OUR ENEMY.
Conferences Between Off iciaIs Es-
tablish the Fact.
The PARIS PRESS IS IRRESPONSIBLE. {.
The French Have Good Reasons 1
Hate spain, and Only kindly
Feelings for America.

Washington. May f9.--As the result O,
ticials of the state department and those
o! the French embassy an agreeable UNI
derStanding has been reached which give:
assurance of contInuaI ce of the traii-
tional friendship existing between the
united states and France. 1t has served
10 make clear that each government has
the fullest confidence in the friendly atti-
tude of the other and that any criticisms
or arimositics aroused by recent incidents
in tht war have not been shared by the
government officials of either country. In
the recent exchanges the attitude OF some
OF the Partisan newspapers In critcsing
of the United States as well as those of
this country in criticism of France has
been gone over.
1t WAS pointed out by the state depart
ment officials that they had EXPRESSLY de-
elined any sympathy or Endorsement of
these Criticisms and that at mos. they
we're private expressions in no way re-
Meeting the feeling of this government.
ON The other hnnd, the French author
ties have given assurances thai the French
press cIiuoisms came from an unrapre-
sentative class or radical Paris newspapers
ana in no way represented that cordial
sentiment entertained by the French roy
ernment and the French people toward
The United States. IL was shown alao mar
the more influential aud representative
lorhais IN touch with the government
maintained the most friendly tone towards
this country, AZ The same time All ME
representations as to the steamer I.afayette
Incident and alleged delay in official dis
patches from Martinique were cleared nm
AS TO the Lafayette the state department
never questioned the good faith ~ tho
French authorities and as TO the delay
III dispatches this was disposed OF by the
Tact That the messages came over the Brit
ish and not the French cables Altogether
the exchanges have produced pleasant
impression ON both sides and n feeling thai
any apparent estrangement between the
two countries has been overcome
M. Robineu OF Parts, who Is prominently
identified with Partisan journalism, has ar
rived here. While representing lie TEMPS
and Le Matin. which are identified with
the Preach government, he also has semi
official mission TO perform He Is accred-
tied by Nj. Honotaux, the French minister
OF foreign aifairs to the French embassy
and through the sffclal channel has been
received at the White House and by repre-
sonatiyes OF the administration,
AS n result of his calls at the White
House. Mr., Robineu's cables TO the Paris
Papers will represent that the most cordial
feeling is entertained In the highest admin
istrative circles in Washington toward the
French government and people At the
same time NJ. Robineu has given assur-
anees to the officials here that the sovern-
ment authorities OF France entertain the
highest regard for the United States and
In no way feel sympathy or friendship
toward Spain IN her present conflict with
this country. He has copies Of letters ex-
changed between prominent firm In Gin.
einna,i and one In New York In the let.
yer French arm made proposition in
connection with the French EXPOSITION Tn
Cincinnati firm answered in part as fol-
lows: 10 i"'-
"As France has shown herself 10 decided.