The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-26
viii France and Germany at Last
BE ReCOnCiled?

Those who read the speech made in
the Reichstag the other day by the I'M
perial Chancellor, Prince % BUELOw,
must have been struck by the sympa-
thetic and conciliatory one of his refer
ence to France, which may well have
surprised some of his auditors, in view
of the misgivings previously expressed
by many German newspapers regarding
the intentions of the Clemenceau Gov
eminent. We now know what inspired
the satisfaction and confidence with
which the actual and prospective
relations of France to Germany were
discussed. On the day preceding the
delivery OF the Chancellor's speech the
Paris correspondent OF the Berlin Toge-
bldtt had an interview with Premier
CLEMENCEAU and with NJ. PIcHoN, the
new Foreign Minister. The interesting
outcome Of this interview was not pub
lished until November 10, but there is
no doubt that the substance OF it was
forthwith made known by telegram TO
Prince Won BUELow. The frank state
ment of NJ. CLEMENCEAU is rightly inter-
preted to mean that there will be no
friction between the French and German
peoples during his Administration, but
that, On the contrary, he will do his
utmost TO draw them closer together.
In this interview the French Premier
said that before the Morocco incident
there were many Frenchmen who re-
garded a rdpprochemsnt with Germany
as very desirable. and he willingly adj
mitted that Emperor WILLIAM had per-
sonally played a large part in bringing
about this welcome state OF things. II
the friends of rdpprochement had TO some
extent lost ground since the Morocco
affair it was only, NJ. CLEMENCEAU said,
because some German newspapers, not
content with the dismissal OF NJ. DEL
CAssE, seemed disposed to taunt, aggra-
vate and humiliate the French nation.
The French Premier, Of course, did not
hold the German Government respon-
sible for such i'll timed excess of zeal on
the part Of it's journalistic supporters.
He went on to intimate that a good deal
Of water had run under the bridge since
the Algeciras conference, and that as
things are now the advocates OF a re-
rdnche policy in France are few and
weak.
Il do not want war" CLEAIENCEAU
said, and no one else here wants war
Nay, any Frenchman who desired war
would be regarded az demented, and il
was because Of the preponderant, If not
.I-.A,s ,,nsHn-uI aonY;nktAn chat ruor ia
out Of the question that NJ. DELcAssE
was overthrown. Moreover, NJ. DEL
CAssE was overthrow not because he
personally wanted war. but because his
policy might conceivably have led to il.
What more conclusive evidence Of a
change Of heart in France could be asked
for? II would be impossible, said NJ.
CLEMENCEAU, for his W or any other
Administration to pursue a warlike policy
toward Germany, for the simple reason
that any Ministry openly committed TO
such a policy, or ever suspected OF it,
would be at once discarded. The Pre-
mier added that the special task which
he had set himself wa to carry forward
the improvement of Anglo-German rela-
tons, and NJ. PICHoN, the Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, who was present, de-
clared that he Endorsed every word that
had been uttered by his chief.
In view Of such an utterance from the
one Frenchman possibly strong enough
10 have propelled his countrymen in a
direction counter TO that Of their ma
tional welfare and safety, onlookers may
as well make up their minds that they
are not destined to witness for at least a
generation a Franco-German war. More
over, with every decade that passes, a
struggle for the recovery Of Alsace-
Lorraine will become more and more
improbable. The grandsons of the men
who lost those provinces are scarcely
more likely to dream Of regaining
Strassburg from Germany than OF re-
gaining the Channel Islands from Great
Britain. They are much more likely TO
recognize that nothing. as experience
has shown. is to be obtained by oppos-
ing Germany, and to ask themselves
what might be got by sincere coopera-