The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-23
ZQA(|N THE DOER WAR
Says, in the First Place, He
Doesn't Understand 1t.
FRANCE YEARNS FOR WAR
And Will Fall Down If She
Ever Gets Into One.

|
in the Journal as follows: It is not al
all surprising that public opinion in
France is on the side of the Beers. The
great mass Of the French people is not
acquainted with the details Of the more
or less complicated dispute that has cul-
minated in the South African war.
| The unreasoning mob does not enter in
| to the niceties of such questions. In its
| eyes Great Britain, a powerful nation
with well nigh inexhaustible resources,
Is assailing a small, weak people. The
Impulses Of the mob though unreason-
able, are frequently generous, and there
IN, L believe, lies the exclamation of
public opinion, not merely in France,
but also in Germany and Russia, regard
ing this war.
My own opinion is not different frors
that Of the majority of the French peo-
pie. I do not know the merits of the
case, nor, indeed, do many people in
France beyond the few Interested in for
eign affairs who consequently study such
questions. But it seems TO me that
Great Britain, with her vast strength,
could have afforded to be extremely pa
tent in dealing with small people like
the Beers, even if they were unreason-
able, and that without loss of dignity
she could have consented TO an arbitra-
ton of the matters in dispute or have
found some other way to avoid war.
Before war was declared, and also for
some little time afterward, 1 received a
great number of letters from Holland,
Belgium, France, and even some from
Great Britain. The writer's said they
knew I took the side of the weak against
the strong, and asked me to write a let
ter to the Queen praying her TO prevent
the war. 1t was not letter of insult I
was asked to write, but an appeal to
Her Majesty's well-known kind-heart-
edness 1 did not do it. 1 sent the same
reply to all my correspondents. My
knowledge of the dispute was insuffi<
cient, and matters had already gone too
far.
Besides, I had lately lived for eleven
months in England, where discreet hos
pitality had been extended TO me, and
felt a delicacy in interfering in a quarrel
of which I did not know the rights and
the wrongs. The British people might
have advised me to mind my own bus
mess. OF course, after the first British
reverse it was apparent that outside in
tervention would be unwe1csrne. l do not
think these defeats will affect the ulti-
mate results of the war, but 1 fear that
they preclude all hopes of peace. Events
must follow their course.
In CONSIDERING oP ba
French people on the Boer war it is not
out of place to say a few words in re-
gard to the traditional hatred said to
exist between France and England. There
are several reasons for this feeling
French history shows that for centuries
Great Britain and Germany have been
our hereditary enemies.
Then the French nation suffers from
an uneasiness. All her traditions show
that she has always been a warlike peo-
pie, worshiping military glory and march
ing with flying colors from one end of
Europe to another. France was defeated
thirty years ago. and can no longer in
dulge these desires. She knows that such |
is the case, in spite of the prosperity of
the Republic Even the Idea of a war
of revenge against Germany is becoming
less and less probable. Nor is there any
one against whom she can go to war /
The result is a ferment traceable to at /
ayism. And it is CALLING to the heredi- !
tary instincts of the French people,
though they may be unconscious of it,
to see neighboring nations playing the
military part they can no longer fill /
themselves.
t.
to say that the French hate the British.
1t would be more accurate TO say that /
they distrust them on account Of the re-
cent outburst of imperialism that began .
with the Fashoda incident. This i'm .
perialism is Similar to the false patriot /
ism RESPONSIBLE for the present situation
in France. and I am very sorry to see /
that it exists even in the United States. /
1t may take Great Britain a very, very
long way.
False patriotism is represented in
France by party one of whose lead
ing cards in its attempt TO secure Office
is the tanning of foreign -natreds in the
name of patriotism. They know that
Frances dreams are of war and victory.
1 say dreams, but I ought to say night
mare. They take advantage of this
atavism for party purposes, but their
declarations are intended for home con
sumption only. Unfortunately were this
party ever to get possession OF the Gov
eminent it would be driven inevitably
into war as a refuge from other diff
culties
The leaders would not want ~ make
war, because they know that they q 70 i'll
in the 0bliteration OF France. But Ii