The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-01

naturally was Leganon. Those who
know the near east know that this
has been for centuries q field OF
French culture and French influence
and In sense Of cultural propaganda
In this region. France has q consider
able economic interest, including most
Of the railways.
Under the new dispensation which
undertakes to recognise the desires
OF various nationalities, It is now urged
not without force that Syria should
be permitted to constitute itself inc a
separate state Of the elect to become
portion of the somewhat imaginary
Kingdom of Hedjaz. In fact, It is ar.
gued that France should resign al;
claims to Syria, and It Is urged that
| any failure Of France to make such
sacrifices convicts the French of old.
fashioned Colonial Imperialism.
Claim 10 Sentimental.
The claim Of France to Syria Is sen.
timental, as well as economic, but
SUCH Information as can gather leads
me to believe that however strongly
official France reviews French claims
the Syrian questin will not be permit.
ted to break up concord between the
various nations, and l am convinced
that the French people would not
support a military expedition to con.
Quer Syria. nor q political quarrel
with their present allies over Syria.
There Is very considerable posi-
bility that the Syrians themselves, left
to themselves. in part, at least, might
elect French protectorate OF q vague
sort. wholly different from military
occupation. and II this should happen.
/! think the French people would un-
derstand that the will OF the Syrian
people should be recognized; but so
Tar as an aggressive colonial campaign
Tor Syria Is concerned, do not think
1t will take place.
The question of the African colon.
les OF Germany is not as vitality inter-
esting to the French as 1t Is to the
British. France, under her arrange
ment with Great Britain, would nor.
mally receive part Of Togo and all of
CAMERON, but 1t is my judgment that
the French are vastly less concerned
over the possible return to Germany
or Central African colonies than are
the British, for whom German West
Africa Is menace to the union OF
South Africa, and German East Africa
Is standing threat on the road to In.
dia.
Want to Purchase.
In the same way there is a pro.
nounced French desire to see the
Spanish evicted from North Africa.
where their precautions position in
Morocco Is q menace alike to Spain
and to France, source of endless ex-
pense, and no benefit; but here again
French purpose is expressed in the
desire to purchase what Spain cannot
administer, as we purchased the Phil
1ppines from the same nation.
Such in brief is a summary OF the
French view of the peace conference.
SO far as 1t concerns material things.
wish / could emphasize the fact
that the mood of France in insisting
upon material as we'll as physical
against German aggression
Is the inevitable consequence of the
last four years. In her ruined cities,
her desolate fields. her suffering pop
ulation. France sees threat Of new
German invasion.
For her greatest task is to make
the supreme tragedy unlikely again.
She does not seek to occupy the left
bank Of the Rhine. She does strive
to provide thata new German invasion
shall start at the Rhine and not across
1t, IN the very heart of her own and
France Is Determloned.
No other one Of the nations has the
same concerns. since no other one OF
the great nations has endured the
same agonies. France at the con-
ferences asks the nations that more
or less tardily Recognized that their
tate was linked up with her, to Join
her In taking material and physical
guarantees against a return of the
barbarian.
TO some Americans, this seems
chauvinistic. To others, it seems an !
incredible thing that the French hes.
!tate to accept the moral assurance
held out by the League of Nations. and
display apprehension that what han
pened recently may happen again: |,
put this is an act OF faith beyond the
power OF the French people.
They hope, but they do not believe
because all other guarantees of peace |
nave proved inadequate-that the |
League of Nations will finally close
Inc avenues Of invasion to the North. |
put they believe that in so far as
they can. 1t is their duty to their
country and to the future to bar those
avenues, material as we'll as moral