Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-26
War Brought Unifica-
tion of French Ideals
and Soldiers Have
Checked Foe.
By wrLLIAM PHILIP sIMMs

PARIS. July ps.--"The great world-wai
is one year old this week. What MAJ
France accomplehed7'
nut this question to NJ Jean Cruppi
ex.Ndinister OF Foreign Affairs. membei
Of the Chamber of Deputies and Of the
Foreign Relations Commission, a mar
physically not very unlike Theodore
Roosevelt. He replied
France accomplished the defeat Of the
Germans in the Battle of the Marine che
stopped the German drive for Calais and
the sea; she has kept Germany nailed to
the spot FOR 10 long months, steadily re-
ducing her by attritlon; she has done
many other big things, but the greatest
of ail was the dropping Of internal differ
ences. her unihcation OF all classes with
one great flxed purpose In View; Vic
tory"
YES" he continued earnestly. "our
word union means something more than
the harmony Of our people; there is
something of the sacred in It. This sacred
union will last France is as one man
with one idea; final success. cost what 1t
mayl The war, no doubt, will be long,
but the courage and patience OF our peo-
pie will be equal to the task OF seeing It
through.
''In short. perhaps the greatest accom-
plishment to Frances credit In the last
il months is that she has found herself. y
To appreciate fully M. Cruppfs words,
one has but to glance back at the France
of the years Just preceding the war;
France, the antithesis of Germany, where
COLLECTIVELY is the national passion;
France the nation of Individual work.
ers and thinkers, where no two people
could be expected to agree on any sub
ject
In the Chamber Of Deputies there are
a score or more parties instead Of two
or three, as is the case in the United
States. The Dreyfus affair split the ma
tion into two hostile camps and each
camp into others with varying opinions.
The Caillaux case to some extent did the
same thing.
All manner of pessimistlc talk was
heard on cafe terraces and even In draw
Ing rooms. A sad fate was in store for the
land Surely a revolution was coming
Another restoration was on the way,
some sald while others declared Sec
ond Commune could not be averted.
Treason, 1t seemed. was on all sides and
in high places; among political leaders,
30 II was lntimated. one was as bad as
another or worse IL this were possible
which 1t was not The theatre gave the
Impression that even French home life
was rotten.
The things one saw and heard in Paris
gave one rather gloomy feeling-that
is, II he believed all he saw and heard.
One got the idea that patriotism was a
lost emotion in France. Some said the
revolutionaries had the upper hand
among the Socialists and that the So
clallsts were running things. Labor,
they said, was ruling capital, and labor
and Socialists, by their general strike
doctrine. had their hands at the throat
of the nation. The Gustave Nerves were
the real masters of the land, and GustaRe
HerVe, you remember, editor of the So
cial War, spent time In prison because
he advocated general strike or re-
belion among the soldiers In the event
France should go to war with another
nation.
In short the world. too busy to 90 be-
low the surface OF things. considered
France too highly educated. The indi-
vidual had too much sense too much
Imagination. He could talk but he could
not fight. Should foreign Power jump
on France. Frenchmen would argue
among themselves what ought to be done,
NNANiA aAANh adNnNHNAhb aOtASlIAlH CttNt
while French troops would rebel and
maybe shoot down their officers
Germany undoubtedly had some such
idea. She expected to find France un-
prepared and French opinion divided, a
great national schlsm developing the
moment there was serious talk OF war
or a revolution after the irst success
OF French arms.
But what happened7 The real France
found herself. The nations heart. SO
long hidden, was revealed, and to the
last man France became unit. AS H.
Cruppi remarked, nothing has shaken
unity since
The moment the general mobilization
order was posted In France eli classes
rallied to the tricolor. Gustave Herve
tried TO enlist. Labor became a marvel of
efficiency and patriotism. Antlmilitarists
boosted 1t, considering II against what
they are against-militariBm. Socialists
became cabinet members, one now hold
ing a position similar to that OF Lloyd-
George. Minister OF Munitions, In Eng
land.
II was the sacred union" one OF
Frances greatest accomplishments
Instead of a revolt In the ranks, the
troops dried the tears or wives, sweet
hearts and mothers with laughter ana
went their way to war singing.