South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-03
WHY THE ANGLO AMERlCAN-FRENCH
TREATY. WE'VE PAID OUR DEBT
TO LA FAYETTE," SAYS THE A. E F.

against GERMANY. whether there league
of nations or not. and perhaps preferable the
part OF her imperalists 70 the League OF Nations
the Angio-American- French treaty recently submit
ted by Prest Wilson the senate,-beongs in the
wastebasket
1t looks little more nor less than the old entente
alliance with the United states substituted for Rus
STA; the alliance that found mplacable enemy in
triple alliance. finally resulting in the world
which have just been obliged to help fight
and which the world is struggling to settle With
the League OF Nations established there is need
OF such a treaty. without the League. there is all
the more reason why me United States should keep
out such an alliance. league with the world, and
league with France and England. likely through
German manipulation to become league against
the world are two different propositions.
Besides quite the boys returning from France
singing these days they board ship for home:
We've paid our debt to La Fayette.
And who in he'll do we owe now?"
And we are told. there is both method and mad
ness song-a sorrowful tale of A. E. F., feel
ings the product OF resentment rather than of
regret. that ought to sting the French people, and
perhaps. some American people we'll.
Yes, we've paid debt 70 la Fayette," and
paid It with more dead on the fields OF France by
thousand times. than the entire following of the
Frenchman who TO the aid OF Washington
not because France loved America more but because
she loved England less II a great deal the
with France. when la Fayette and his troop landed
at Georgetown. as with Napoleon when he
said to Lord Pemberton upon the signing of the
treaty known as the Louisiana purchase. by
jefferson:
IT have by this act given to England rival
on the high seas that will one day humble her
pride"
But the question is why is the A. e F. singing
that sort OF dirge. bidding farewell to France?
because they getting fit farewell from
the French people, upon their departure and Of
certain treatments that have been accorded them
during their stay there since the signing of the
istice? We are told BY who have sung it, that
II is Just this and little Americans are re-
sentful OF the French greed 1t exhibited in
cident the framing OF the treaty They went
to France insofar as they other than assist
France and England in threshing Germany before
Germany had threshed them-then coming to Amer
ics,-not to capture Germany for France. but TO
save France from Germany: went to pave the way
for future OF continuous peace and not TO the
seeds OF
These men know more about what has been going
on IN France than lot of US may be inclined to
give them credit for They feel perhaps more than
has been put into print. into converse
Half OF the French language is gesture and the
other half demeaner. the words employed CONSTITUTE
ing sort OF fourth dimension as for instance when
a Frenchman comes along and elbows you off the
sidewalk into the gutter and then, "chivalrously"
bows and begs your pardon. Accordingly the A. e f.
feels that having paid to Fayette."
they're through. and they want things so that
neither they their children will need pay any
more such obligations.
Furthermore these overseas men are Americans.
They may not be democrats nor all admiration for
Woodrow Wilson but he happened TO be their
nnander- in-chief. and the representative OF the
United States OF America at the peace tables, and
they have had sense enough, and pride enough and
patriotism enough. to read between the lines of
French "ohivaIry" or numerous occasions more
yelled insult to America than it might have been
for Frenohmen put into words These
furthermore. are American enough, and their pur-
pose IN France. altruistic enough as the military
representatives OF their country which has asked
northing itself-save that the way paved that
they need not be called back-that knowing of the
French greed back OF their conduct made it
all the we'll.
Accordingly. while It is estimated that 90 percent
Of the American Expeditionary forces, that have
given IT thought, favor the League OF Nations as
settling future international disputes with
II at all possible very few OF them are en-
thusastic the French British American treaty,
for the special protection of They feel that
we've paid debt La Fayette" and that they
more of such debts TO France or to anyone
else And 1t may be that the commander-in- chief has
had some such feelings in the matter as we'll have
mis- men, though OF course it wouldn't have been
very diplomatic for him TO have boarded the George
Washington for home. singing it, Still it is sugges-
dive
Tt is about time for France TO take her place again
among the nations OF the earth on something of a
plane OF equality. depending upon herself and her
own resources instead OF making OF herself baby:
the ward OF a paternalism-needed like as not TO
save her from herself Either that or if France
thinks she needs mandatory let US get into the