New-York tribune., 1919-02-16

these qualms, and there are strong ntima-
tlons that these alarms in France are seri-
ously complicating the conference
10 understand them we have only to
put ourselves in the position of the French.
England is: separated from Germany by the
North Sea; the United States by the At
lantic; Italy by the Alps. France must
continue to rub elbows with nation which
has twice proved dangerous neghbor
Twice within living memories has that tiger
sprung on France, and both times has it
inflicted terrible wounds When the British
and American armies have gone home, leav-
ing France alone, what security has she
that the beast will not spring again."
There is no ground for criticising
Clemenceau, in the view of 'The Rich
mond Times Dispatch,' and least of all
because Of the threatened removal of the
peace conference from Paris. This paper
writes
"Rufled feelings and peevish threats to
remove the peace conference to neutral
country with which Premier Clemenceau's
remarkable interview has been greeted are
important only as indicating the tenseness
conferrees and all others connected with the
council are becoming frayed and ragged by
reason of the mighty issues involved in
their deliberations and the severe mental
strain under which they have been laboring
1t is not surprising that occasionally the
sweet bells of the peacemakers iangle out
Of tune; it would be surprising if they
did not
"There is nothing alarming in the Pre-
mler's interview, no reason to talk of chang
ing the place of the conference, no cause
for any one to become excited, even if there
may be honest differences of opinion about
his wisdom in the manner and time of its
giving. The Tiger is fighting for France, as
he always has fought, with all the vigor and
fire for which he is famous. 1t is time
for plain talking, and France is fortunate
in having at its service a spokesman so
virie and unfearing"
If the Poles and the Czechs, with all
the fighting they have done, have not
had enough of war "The Charleston
News and Courier" cannot see why the
Germans have necessarily had so much
that they would not take up arms again.
Sin Short" it continues, 1--WE cannot be
sure that the Germans have had such
a dose of war that nothing could make
them go to war again" And, further
more:
at is entirely conceivable that if the
Allied coercive instrumentalities were with
drawn too quickly or too completely the
Germans might refuse to carry out demands
made upon them by the Allies, especially
If they were persuaded that these demands
would place upon them a heavy burden;
and from this phase they might pass, if
they thought they saw a chance, to an actu-
al attempt to take back country of which
they might conceive themselves unjustly
deprived - Alsace-Lorraine for instance.
People are too prone to ignore the fact
that In some respects Germany has emerged
from this war in better shape than her
continental antagonists. 1t is small
wonder that in this situation French states
men should regard the future with some
anxiety"
"The News and Courier" has some
thing to say about the critics of France,
adding to the observation above:
France is at the frontier; she holds the
exposed outpost. ii we are not willing to
help her in case she needs help. then we
should stop critczng her for taking steps.
TO protect herself. The curious part of it
IS that the people who criticize her most
sharply for taking these steps are the
people who are most reluctant to give her
any assurance of aid in case she is throat
cned."