The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-01
FRANCE DEMANDS
SAFETY IN EVENT
LEAGUE FAILS


AANAAN law A0HSaN
railways constructed by Germany be.
fore the recent war, and for the pur-
pose OF FaginE this war, the great
lines which led to the Belgian frontier,
shall be DESTROYED These lines had
track trunk lines, stopping abruptly at
the Belgian frontier, In many cases.,
with terminal facilities which bore no
relation TO any peace-tlme traffic. Be-
cause these lines existed, Germany was
able to push her mighty hcrdes into
Belgium four ana q half years ago.
Destroy Fortifications.
In the second place, the French will
demand that the Qualifications that ex-
list on the left bank Of the Rhine shall
be destroyed, with the single purpose
that Germany shall not be able again
to repeat the 1914 episode and push
aggressive var into the heart OF French
territory In the very first weeks OF the
finally the French will demand that
tho Germans maintain no garrisons and
no Armies west Of the rhine ana that,
In my Judgment, is what the French
expect to get ana substantially all
Germany on the west bank OF the
Rhine, under Inducements such as mitl-
cation OF their share o. the price to
pV Iblu III NiN uulhNi6 VI wal may
choose TO separate themselves from
the German nation and become an In
dependent republic, thus creating, a
buffer state between France and Ger
many. But do not believe this Is
more than a hope, or that II will con-
Nov In sum all these things mean
that the French, after four invasions
In q century, are resolved that II there
Is 4 fifth invasion Il shall begin at
the Rhine and not at the Moselle or
the Eambre; that the opening phase
Of a new German aggression snail take
place In German and not French terri
tory. II the league OF nations shall
become a world force that many hope,
these precautions will prove phneces-
sary, II Il fails these precautions will
stand, and with four invasions In their
minds 1t Is difficult to criticize the
French purpose,
Mines Wrecked.
ton Of the ,saar coal district, / have
frequently described this question to
to complete the statement Of the
French policy. The region itself is a
Very restricted area. two or three hun
died square miles at most. 1t pro,
coal a year. II S6eionEed TO France
wholly up to 1914, but even after the
first abdlcation OF Napoleon o portion
still remained to France, and II was
not until after Waterloo that Prussia
had her way and seized the whole coal
a trn, jsst AZ she took the iron dis
Argument for the Saar coal district
Ia not based merely or mainly upon
ancient title. Last yea when the Ger
mans found they were not going to be
able permanently to hold the French
coal district OF Lens, they syste-
rnhtically and completely wrecked the
mines and machinery, they dynamited
houses, and they transformed the whole
district into an almost hopeless desert,
Their purpose was to make France de-
pendent upon Germany for coal, TO
cripple French industry to the profit
q Germany, and Il the treaty q Paris
falls to award France compensation In
the shape OF GOAL the. German object
will have been achieved.
France asks, therefore, the frontiers
OF 1914, rather than those OF 1870, az
an act OF justice, both because OF an
cient stealing and OF contemporary de-
struotion, and so far as | know there
Is no criticism Of her purpose amonR
the British or among Americans in
France.
Take No Chance.
so much for the European phase OF
the French purpose. | repeat that they
DO not think Of iinperialistic purposes
They are anxious to prevent a repeti-
ton Of tile past. II is very hard Ia
give to Americans who have lived In
peace and with no accurate picture OF
devastated France, any real under
standing Of French emotion at the
| present time, France has lust es-
Saped a terrible disaster, which would
have meant approximate national de.
struotIon, For nearly half a century
the French people have existed under
the shadow of German threat. 1t still
seems only yesterday that German
shells were falling In Paris, and the
sky was lighted at night with the flare
| OF German runs. II Ia only q few
| months since the arrival of German
| troops In Paris was Believed inevita'
bio. The greatest apprehension II
over, abut not easily DO men and rom
en- forget perils 40 recent, which are
again only repotitions Of past history
II is this element which influence,
French ideAlism and French aspiration
At the present ,hoyr, It ls this grin
fact that compeis the mass OF thought
ful Frenchmen to examine the league
Of nations with suspicion which II
easily interpreted as hostility, which
II Ia not. The rest OF the world car
well afford To. gamble in the matter Of
the league OF nations, The French
cannot afford 10 take any chance, and
the limitations imposed upon them By
their recent history and by ali thAi,
| h!stn.s are eaAily translated into q 70.