The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-10

A large section of public opinion in
France believes that American inter
vcntion has prolonged the war
The question Of the probable length
Of the war is a very serious one for
the! French people. and. indeed, for any
n alton that has been engaged for three
Years in such a struggle, with the en-
tire, dislocation Of industries and nor
MAJ life it necessarily causes. Amerl-
ca docs not yet appreciate this condi-
ton. and probably will not. unless the
war endures another TWO or three
yea1,s, with our armies as an actual
participating factor in the struggle.
At the present moment, with the
American population in general, II U.s.
as 1t was with England at the begin
ming tf the war. very much business
AS usual" It. took considerably more
than n year for that sign 10 disappear
from the English hoardingS. but II has
gone rNow, and by This time the war is
a very grim reality In England, II
will become so with America.
France. however. realized the lac!s
of the s.ar Immediately. All her male
population up 10 IS years was taken al
once fo!. the army. and on top OF that
her fineat provinces were in the hands
OF the enemy within less than three
weeks. She knew within "a hours
what wal meant She has known II
INCREASINGLY ever since, and by this
time how much longer the war Will
last has i5ecome question only sec
ond in inn portance 10 who Will win.
Hence, when America interviewed. one
of the first questions asked in France
was what The effect would be on the
duration Of the struggle.
American Gentry Rrolonalne war
Public op1nion soon crystallized into
the belief that American participation
would make the war longer. ana TINS
was moi accepted AS an unmixed bless
ing. 4 ny number of persons IN france
asked inc what thought about It. Al
ier diplomatic. relations with Germany
were broken and before We declared
that 4 state OF war existed large part
of the Thought Of the intelligent men
in France WHO believed. as the ma
iorItv did. THAI American intervention
was only a question OF time. was CIV
on 10 IT'S effect on the duration. Dur
ine those two months I hardly made a
new acquaintance there who. after
learning my position and connections,
did not ask me this vital question.
In official circles there was never
America to como in. Tho French gov
rrnment wanted America and when
state Of war wees declared II was con-
sidcred n great feather In Ambassador
Jussr ranh's diplomatic cap. Before that
he had been con sIdcrahly discrcdited In
an influential part Of official circles
1t was thought that he had not done
enough 10 influence American opinion
and countrract tlsc German propaganda
He was frequently accused or having
dug n trench" i'm Washington and of.
sitting in II while Rernstorff was Eight
ING in the field Many times lie would
have been recalled had there not been
a feeling that such action would he a
greater discredit IN Franco than having
n useless ambassador. Once America
went In. all this was changed. and Jus
scrand received fu1l credit for tho Wise
part he had played
The French government does not.
express all the thoughts OF the French
people. nor does It permit all the
thoughts Of the People 10 be expressed.
The censorship is more effective there
and more resolu,ely exercised than In
any other allied country. and the news
papers are more vigorously subjected TO
government influence. especially In the
sense of what they talk about. The
subjects chosen for newspaper COM
No Anxiety for Diplomatic Triumph
Public opinion In France paised Am
hasasdnr Jusscrand by In the question
Of America entering the war. II did
nor care whether or not there had been
n diplomAtic triumph for France. but It
was greatly concerned whether the war
would be longer nr shorter. And II
soon decided that the war would be
longer for the reason that the resources