New-York tribune., 1905-08-14
FRENCH DIPLOMACY.
HozC It's Methods Haze Changed In
the Last Ten Years.
Paris, August 1.


Richelieu. Taleyrand. Gulzot and Drouin de
Lhuys. that fostered by Theirs and even
by De Freycinet, have given place 10 broad,
simple. businesslike commercial transactions Df-
plomacy is no longer in France a closed profes
sion like the church or the army 1t is open to
all comers. NJ. Decasse's grandfather was
shepherd from the Pyrenees. NJ. Rouvier, the
present Prime Minister and head of the Foreign
Office, began life as an overseer of wharf hands
the Marseilles quays They are both sheer
outsiders far the professional diplomatic
calling is concerned. The same is true in regard
to the French consular service. the latest in
stance of which is the appointment of NJ Alcide
Ebray, eminent journalist and economist. but
a newcomer in the profession, to the post of
Consul General in New-York. Nice points of
diplomatic prestige and amour propre, which
have so great weight in German diplomacy, are
disregarded in France. Diplomacy has become
democratic. SiXty-one per cent of the French
population is rural The present electoral suf-
frage system of scrutin Acknowledgement, which,
roughly speaking. gives a deputy for one hun
dred thousand citizens. has steadily increased
the power of the peasant and the influence of
the tradesman. 1t is the apotheosis of the sons
of the soil. such as depicted by Balzac in
Les Paysans' and by Zola in La Terre."
Practical. businesslike dealings willingness to
sacrifice technical points and trivial details to
attain big results have taken the place of his
toric principles and personal dignity.
A striking instance of this is to be found in
the Morocco negotiations. When Emperor
William succeeded in dislodging NJ Delcasse
and in securing the participation of France in
the Morocco conference, this was considered
everywhere else except in France as a triumph
for the Kaiser and humiliating defeat of
French statecraft. In France. on the contrary,
every one feels convinced that 1t is not the
Kaiser but NJ Rouvier who has the first
trick in the game To the French mind the
Kaiser wished 10 bring home to France that
Germany had been neglected in the Anglo
French arrangement in Morocco. assented to by
Spain and Italy. Frenchmen thought that the
Emperor William, annoyed at NJ. Delcasse's
policy of attempting to isolate Germany, and
vexed at the AngIo-French entente. sought to
dictate to France what her foreign policy should
be- This led the average Frenchman "in the
street" to say: We'll. If the Kaiser cannot
make deal with Delcasse, then by all means
replace the Minister of Foreign Affairs by some
one more practical" This done. and it is
on this account that NJ. Rouviers reading of
the correspondence with the German govern
ment on the subject of Morocco was received
with genuine applause in the French Chamber
of Deputies
The man in the street. now says: 1.-The
Kaisers tactics have drawn closer to us than
ever before most important customer, Eng
land, and We have consented to take part in a
conference where our rights already existing in
Morocco cannot be discussed, and where are
reasonably certain that the delegates of other
powers-England. Spain Russia and Italy-will
vote with US. thereby giving US a majority.
although IL is true that the decisions to be
effective must be unanimous" This was why
S,os for haar
regarded in France as German diplomatic vic
tory No one here seems yet to worry about
any Interior consequences. such whether or
not Germany may secure a port on the coast
of Morocco almost within shot OF the
Algerian frontier. naval station within a
few hours sail from Gibraltar.
Another example OF the new democracy that
has come over French diplomacy is the practi-
cal common sense way in which France dealt
with the question of the visit 10 Paris of the
German students. The inside facts of this visit,
made four months ago. were not made public
until this week. and they disclose a vast diff
ference between the diplomatic methods of Ger
many and France. Last spring the students
of the Universities Of Berlin and of G6ttingen
expressed through the presidents of their college
societies. desire to come TO Paris and pass
a fortnight here. NJ. Nogueres, Paris student,
who is president of the association of students OF
the University of Paris consulted his colleagues
and a cordial invitation was sent to the Univer-
stiles of Berlin and of G6ttingen AS the visit
would coincide with the trip of the German EN-
peror to Tanger Nogueres thought 1t would be
prudent to consult with the vice-rector and in
huential members of the faculty of the univer-
sity. such NM Lavisse Lizard Casimir-
Perier and Jules Siegfried. Upon the advice of
NJ Casimir-Perier. NJ. Nogueres informed NJ
Delcasse, then Minister OF Foreign Affairs of
the proposed visit. NJ. Decasse said: "You
know that Emperor William is about to make q
sensational voyage to Morocco. and there is
likely to be some lively discussions in the news
papers about the relations between France and
Germany; nevertheless, 1 am glad the German
students are coming here for the better French
and German students know each other so rnucb
the better is 1t for their respective countries
! see no difficulty in the way of the visit. only
make sure that your German comrades have a
hearty welcome and that they really eniov them
selves"
The visit was arranged for April l. On March
q the presiden- of the student societies or
Berlin and GGttingen was summoned IN the
German Embassy in Paris and told that he
must countermand the arrangements for the
visit Of the German students NJ Cochoud
president Of the German students, replied that ',
was TOO late that the Germany Embassy must
address itself to the NJ. Noguieres, president ne
the French students. Accordingly Baron Won
Lucus, attached to the Germany Embassy IN
Paris, called upon NJ Noguieres and said: ..I
am sent by my charge d'affaires who has re-
ceived formal orders from Berlin to prevent the
reception in Paris that you are preparing for
the students of the universities of Berlin and
of G0ttingen. The moment is unfavorabla
The voyage Of his majesty 10 Tan1iers irrita+e,