Evening journal., 1919-04-12
America and France
(From the New York Tribune.)

The present seems the best possible
time for saying a few words Of sense
touching France and the American at
titude, past and present. The air is fun
Of crOakers and sneercrs and derders
What we say and believe is that the
people of America stand just as strong
ly for France as they ever stood. They
admire her and love her and they are
for her-for granting her whatever she
needs 10 regain her health and strength.
Anybody who asserts anything else Is
stupid or worse.
There are many signs Of this. There
are cartQQns from the whole country
There is The applause that any speaker
can always get for Frances heroism in
the war. There is the common talk that
you can hear in any car or hotel. Last
week at a luncheon Of peace league
in this city, there was a striking eX-
ample Of the sentiment. The audience
was composed chiefly of radicals Of the
parlor-Bolshevik breed. They have for
weeks been fed by The New Republic
and other radical journals the familiar
sneers at Frances imperialism" Yet
when Mr.. Walter Lippmann-the only
intelligent member Of the intelligentsia
that has ever crossed our horizon
talked plain sense TO the effect that
France was bankrupt and that this
country ought TO assume part of her
debt if payment in German territory
was denied her there was long and loud
applause. The parlor-B -Bolsheviks forgot
their new-fOmd philosophy Of ideal
lsm-fOr-other-folk and reverted to
their old American ism. It was only a
graceful gesture, TO be sure, and cost
nothing. But the reaction was signi1-
cant and instructive.
That IS true Of the whole country.
Love for France is not a new and tenu-
Gus emotion for Americans, a sudden
growth Of the war. It is Of our an
cientest faith, our most sacred past
fibre Of our inmOst national being, as
elemental as our folklore or love Of
home or the Declaration Of Independ-
ence. The immortal fashion in which
France fought the battle Of the world,
and, all but single-handed. saved the
day, warmed all our old affections and
added a new reverence. But it did not
initiate our national bond with France
that was Of a century's standing.
There have been two factors Of late
to work against this historic attitude.
One is the poison which the Wilsonian
correspondents in Paris have been in
stnling at frequet intervals. France is
selfish Clemenceau asks too much
why can't France be noble and gener-
Gus like usw has been the burden OF
the cables. The poison has probably
worked-a little. here and there.
The other factor IS the returning sol
dier with his complaints Of French
prices and French weather and French
this and that. Much Of what he says is
true: for French weather IS wet and
the French are exceedingly human and
have their own very human and con-
siderable faults and weaknesses. Much
more flows inevitably from the mis-
understanding Of a foreign language
and foreign ways. The fond idea that
all the world held that by stirring
enough aliens together violently on a
battlefront you would produce har-
mony is pretty well dscredlted. Mr.
Wilson's epigram that you cannot dis
like man you know holds true only
Of real knowledge, based on c0mrade-
ship and true familiarity. IL is a sad
untruth as applied to private soldiers
casually rubbing one another the.wrong