Arizona republican., 1919-07-02
Franco American Relations


 The outbreak Brest on Monday between American soldiers sailors one side and French civilians and soldiers illuminaes situation which has been reported by nearly all returning American soldiers. The Americans detest the French beyond measure. There was never any love between them after they were thrown into contact There were two causes of conflict; sexjealousy is said to have been disturbing elem-st The French also felt that America had too long delayed entering the conflict and they unprepared
 This attitude of the French toward Americans manifested itself in higher quarters when after the convening of the peace conference the suggestion seriously made that America should bear a share of the burden of the dating from it's inception and that there should be taxed against America per capita of the dead who slain during the three years before got into the war.
 G. Creighton Webb, long in the diplomatic sery- ice in a letter described the French attitude which he also said European and without ex- cepton. The cry is Let the Yankee pay.' If there is a meal spree or anything else is there an American present, let him pay''
 All soldiers who have come back from France bring stories of systematic e4,ortion and they bring with them sentiment regarpg the French generally hostile than their feelings towards the Ger We speaking of their personal sentiments toward French people and German people those with whom they brought into contact
 The magazine writers who have dealt us out lot of sush and most of it has pure slush have studiously refrained from giving us this view of Franco American relations There we see the poilu and the doughboy only loving comrades in arms each puffed up with altruism and each waging war only for humanity-ready die for those grand principles with which orators and dreamers have e6 +be of fearful French gratitude and love.
 The doughboy though quickly had surfeit of the French civilian population his comrade in against whom he had to guard his belongings in the field and by whom he robbed at every turn. If he inspired by any of the 'Tafayette we are here business he lost the inspiration and fought the Germans only because they had sunk American vessels had murdered American women and children and had humiliated and threatened America
 And, we may interject, the proposal of special alliance of the United States. Great Britain and France for the protection of the named will create no enthusiasm among American soldiers who served in France. They with other Americans will to that that entanging alliance of which America will be kept free
 There be sufficient excuse for the Ameri- officer who the trouble at Brest by getting drunk and by tearing down and trampling upon French flag. He deserved the beating he received A Frenchman who would commit an act of that kind in this country would perhaps not get off so easily.
 Yet there is something not in palliation not ex- cusatory, but explanatory of the conduct of the of lending officer-hs first step that getting drunk We must take into consideration first the general antipathy of American officers soldiers to the French; his thorough disgust with France and all things French. Then there was the unnecessarily prolonged stay of the American troops Brest which Americans who were q1artered there remember with it's rain, it's mud it's squalor as the hell l-hoIe of France. In these circumstances, a man who was not well grounded in the principles of temperance might not unnaturaly seek surcease in alcohol foolish thing to do but something that has been done time out of mind in all countries. The rest desecra- tion of the French flag, the riot and the killings were natural sequences. Everything had been convenient ly set for the tragedy.