The sun., 1919-03-24
LEAGUE And TREATY
ONE, SAYS De BILLY
Question Cannot Be Split, AS
serts Envoy, Who Tells
Position of France
FALSE RUMORS EXPOSED
Destitution Reigns in Devas-
tated Regions and Relief
Work Must Continue.
specie, Despatch to TEE su>.


PHnADEIPHIA, March 2s.--1n a speech
here to-day at the opening of an exhi-
bition of French war pictures. under the
auspices Of the Emergency Aid Of Penn
sylvania, NJ. Edouard de Billy. Deputy
High Commissioner OF France. TO the
United States, made the emphatfc state
ment that the position and views Of his
country Mt the Peace Conferences are to-
day exactly as they were outlined by NJ.
Andre Tardieu. former High ,Gommis-
sioner to the United States and repre-
sentative of France at the conference.
NJ. de Billy quoted this statement by Nj.
Tardeu on January IL and again on
March IL
"The treaty of peace and the League
OF Nations can only be one question, and
say tonight the League OF Nations
can be founded only on the treaty OF
peace, and, on the other hand. the very
principles on which the league will be
founded will give their lasting value to
the clauses OF the treaty
Mr. de Billy declared that this has
been. throughout tho negotiations, the
position taken by the French delegates
TO the conference and was according TO
their instructions from the French Gov
ernment
There must be no doubt about this"
he said. II want our friends to know it
and L repeat II.
II want you also to be warned against
runors concerning the manner In which
negotiations are proceeding. 1t is not
possible that on such important and
numerous questions, on which depends
for many decades the future of the
world. the opinions OF the whole dele
cations should be at first unanimous.
There must be differences at first. We
must not allow ourselves to see in these
differences anything else than the frank
expressions Of honest minds seeking the
truth, all having come to the peace table
with the utmost good will. all expressing
themselves strongly and frankly, because
they have confidence in each other, all
ready to accept what will appear to all
as just.
Cleme nceau's Address Cited.
81 sometimes resent II, I say candidly
when see some opinions misrepresented
or when l see that, certain developments
of the negotiations are described in
your papers as n victory or defeat. L
would like the journalists who make
such reports TO read over again and
again the opening address of Premier
Clemenceau thanking those who had
elected him as permanent chairman OF
the Peace Conference.
'The truth about the conference is
that It has brought together in thought
the men who on that solemn occasion
had the honor Of representing their coun-
try. 1t has made them understand each
other better. respect each other better.
1t has taught them to know better the
conditions OF the different countries. II
has given them a greater love for the
welfare of all OF them. for the restora-
tion of lasting, just peace throughout
the world"
NJ, do Billy asked his hearers. as
friends Of his country. to do France the
greatest service you can now render
her" by aiding him in preventing public
opinion in the United States from being
misled by false rumors and from being
induced to accept as true certain repre-
sensations OF present developments which
are likely to be harmful to France.
THE first rumor against which
want to warn you" he said. is that
which concerns the situation in the dew
astated regions OF France, and which, II
made in this country to help the relief
work on the other side.
You have all heard these runors ;
France is richer than ever. France needs
no more help, France has requested that
all Red Cross work in France be dis
continued after April /. therefore why
should Americans collect money and
send 1t to the devastated regions?
Devastation SIN Is Awful.
LAS regards the devastated regions, IL
those who come back saying that no
help Is necessary had visited those dcs-
olated areas they would not l am sure,
speak as they do. They would under
stand the emphatic denial given, a few
days ago. in an interview by the Min
istry OF Liberated Regions to the ruinors
that France needs no support in that
work.
True it is that these areas cover only
q small portion OF France. But they
were tho richest portion. containing our
beat coal and iron field, most of our fac
tories and our big iron and steel works.
Twenty-Five per cent, OF the total taxes
paid in France were raised in these in
vaded regions, which fact will show you
their Importance. Now all has been de-
stroyed. 1t will be years before a ton
of coal Is raised from the mines which
have been blasted. The factories and
mills have been looted. and will take
months to be equipped and in working
order again; 240,0 dwellings have been
totally destroyed, 10000 partly so. In
the fields the cattle have been de stroyed
or stolen, trees nave Ueen cut. 100000
acres OF forests have TO be replanted,
and in some places the soil has been
plowed SO deep by the shells that there
-%aW mora b9ruAleft. end.:s 20 900 acres
of what was of good fertile land will
have to be planted In forests.
Billions to Aid impoverished.
Toward the suffering people the
French Government il doing its duty
France has been badly Impoverished BY
this war, as in order to meet her war ex-
penses she has increased her public debt
by about 1928 billion francs She has
decided all those who have suffered
from the war shall receive an appro-
PIRATE indemnity and as Germany prob
ably will not be able to pay for all that
she has wllfully and uselessly DESTROYED
these indemnities will still Increase
Frances debt by many billion francs.
But as long AZ these indemnlties are
not completely distributed and used 10
pay for Buildings and equipment or fur
niture, as long as these formerly rich
countries have not restarted work. as
, long as there is no smoke coming
out OF the stacks can you imagine what
will be the moral and material suffer
lngs OF the people? And do you realize
that any help in addition to Government
help Is welcomed?
more than twenty French societies
are working in those devastated regions
American. organizations also are nj
work. ] am not here to beg or to ask
you to raise and send money. But
my duty Is TO tell you in the name
OF the French Government that those