New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-07
THE SPLENDOR OF FRANCE
Brands Reply to Socialists Compant-lf Peace ohouio
Come Before Its Time Future Generations
Would Pay in Agony
To thn Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: France in her unity and hero
ism has shown qualities so much
nobler than any praise We can give
them that they demonstrate the
diviner possibilities Of man. The
privilege to view these things is the
martial compensation to our emotions
as spectators Of the war OF destruc-
tion. For this reason no illustration
~ tho splendor of the French spirit
should be lost for us. and you Will
perhaps from this point Of view wish
TO offer to your readers an outline in
rough translation Of the speech OF NJ.
Briand. President of the Council, IN
the Chamber on September 10 last (ot
course. suffering grievously in trans
lation). 1t should be remembered
that NJ. BRAND is a man OF the peo-
ple. and was accounted Socialist un-
til his enthusiasms and radicaiism
were tempered by the responsibilities
Of government. These utterances'
that is to say, are not those Of MILL
taristic Tory, but of a peace-loving
liberal.
NJ. Roux-Costadau, Socialist, on
September 10 made set speech IN
which he spoke Of the mountain OF
French corpses rising toward the vault
of the sky, morosely suggested that
the peasantry were bearing more than
their due share of sacrifices, and also
that some of the Allies were not SUI
fering or straining as was france
and he warned the Chamber that, In
order to be heard in any peace con-
eress. France must be able to speak
outright. still vigorous, and not mort
bund, lying on a stretcher." The de-
bate proceeded as follows:
NJ. BRAND: any dear colleague,
should not wish to break into your
speech, but il cannot have es'
capped you that you have been handling
a subject Of great delicacy..
"If. for example, viewing the efforts
of the Allied nations, which are united
in this war for the triumph of cause
upon which depends the civilization OF
the world, a hallowed cause Good!
Good !, you should permit yourself tc
belittle the sacrifices of one Allied
country by comparison with those OF
such another, you would use method
of argument, which is not only un'
worthy but even unjust.
Consider the efforts Of England
rSpirited applause from great number
of benches', which does not content
herself with playing her part in the
Entente, in watching the seas and SO
performing a task most useful to the
Joint military enterprises Good!
Goodll, which since the beginning OF
the war has imposed upon herself
and it is a thing unheard of in Eng
lands history-compulso military
service, which has succeeded, against
what obstacles, in providing forml
dable armies, making them rise right
out of the British soil; which has
brought upon our territory hundreds
upon hundreds of thousands Of soldiers
which has trained them, which has
armed and equipped them, which has
supplied them with all the necessary
munitions. To-day you may see her
soldiers, victorious, side by side with
ours. England has never answered
NO to an appeal for her help. lAp-
plause.l
"As for Italy, Monsieur Roux-Costa-
dau, she came into this war voluntarily
with a noble spirit; she came with an
ample loyalty. Lately she has enlarged
her activity to show herself in complete
solidarity with us. You know the man.
ner in which she il fighting in the
mountains, and in the midst of diff
culties of which, perhaps, you have not
taken sufficient account. Loud ap-
plause.
an what touches Russia, how can
you say
NJ. Roux- Costadau: "I said nothing
NJ. BRAND: "when you have be-
fore your eyes the figures of her losses
that she has not always made in com
plete solidarity with us every effort
/ that any one might ask of her? lAp
plause.l We are pooling all our re-
sources.
Tomorrow you will see this con-
certed activity spread and develop.
an the Balkans in unison We are
fighting a single battle.
"And now, to look only at our own
country, have the right to say that all
the citizens, to whatever social cate
CORY they belong, have given them
selves full-heartedly to their country
And why? Because, from the first mo-
ment, whatever was their ideal, they
understood that France had been at
tackled after long generalization, and