The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-14
Why Frenchmen Dislike Englishmen

Although. since the opening Of the Expo
sition. there has been some abatement
OF the abuse lately vented upon England
and English people by the Paris news
papers, nobody doubts that. in the autumn
the campaign Of vituperation and calumny
will be revived. What are the causes OF
the animosity with which Frenchmen
regard their British neighbors? The
London Spectator has attempted recently
to account for the phenomenon by the
Fashoda incident. by the fact that. as colo
mixers, the French and the English are rivals
In West and Central Africa and In southern
China, and by the belief current In France
that En2lishmen are the enemies Of her
Russian allies. We would not deny that
these facts and Impressions may have
some influence. but the real ground Of
the enmity with which England IL viewed
in France lies far deeper. II Is unques-
tionably true that, for upward OF two
centuries, the aspirations Of the French
nation ave encountered in England the
one insuperable obstacle to their fulfill
ment. and that. but for England. France.
ubtNtha VI INV hNS wv
would have been dominant in Europe and
the mistress OF the greatest Colonial Empire
on the globe,
II is certain that, but for the treasure,
the blood and the generalship contributed
by England to the anti-French coalition
In the early years Of the eighteenth century.
Louis XIV. would have succeeded in effect
ing a consolidation with France. under the
Bourbons. Of Spain, Naples, the Duchy
OF Milan, the Spanish Netherlands, and.
In a word, all the Spanish possessions in
Europe, IA we'll as all SPANS dominions
In America and in the East Indies. But
for MARLBOROUGH the consolidation would
have been untrammelled with the condi-
tons imposed by the Treaty of Utrecht,
conditions which divided. and were in
tended to divide, the House OF Bourbon
against itself. Again. at the outbreak
OF the Seven Years War, France owned
in North America an imperial domain,
which. including az 1t did not only Can
ada but the Mississippi Valley. had a pro-
spectiye value immeasurably greater than
that Of the territory occupied by the Brit
1911 NolptlI'N III nlI'lhhs .Nb'hl lIt NdI1t'
period Frenchmen had acquired great
influence in southern India, and seemed
destined to become the power behind the
throne Of the Moguls. BY the Peace Of
Paris in 1893 France renounced every foot
Of land which had once belonged to her
on the mainland Of North America, and
by the end Of the century she retained
oothinD - IpIin oxaapt DnpIiob,,r,, ..l
Chandernagore. For the loss Of her nascent
empires in the New World and in India
France had Englishmen to thank.
Let us pass TO the wars Of the French
Republic and First Empire. But for the
opposition Of the English feet in the Medi-
terranean N~APoLEoS's conquest Of Egypt
would have been permanent, and would
have been followed certainly by the occu-
patton Of Syria. and, probably also. by
an overland expedition against India.
Here. again, there would have been nothing
visionary in the French dream of agCran-
dizement had not England blocked the
way. Neither will any one deny that.
but for EnGland's im%placable hostility.
N%ApoLHoN's hold uNon Spain and Portugal
Wpiii INV ~ ~ w Nllil
his control Of central Europe. from Ham
burg to Naples, would have lasted "a long
as he lived. Even after NhPoLEoN's down
fall England continued TO obstruct the
efforts Of reviving France for rehabilita-
ton When the RelGians revolted against
Holland in 1890 they would gladly have
chosen for their Sovereign a son NJ TorIs
PHILIPPE, but the English forced them
20 accept for their ruler Prince LEOPOLD
OF Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who had married
the daughter of GEORGE ", In the early
forties THEIRS. then Premier. saw an op-
rortnnity Of gaining for France the long
coveted ascendanCy in the Orient. by on
%cOuraging IBR>HIM PaSha'S attempt to
dethrone the Ottoman Sultan and to sub
sutute MEHEMET ALI as Commander Of
the Faithful, Already had IBRAHIM con-