The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-01
yisal OF Chauvinisn, thereby doing
France very great injustice.
Turkish Problem,

Problem.
Turning now to the French view Of
questions outside OF Europe, much Is
TO be heard In Paris today as to French
designs upon Syria. The situation is
complicated. Before America came
nut mutually arr agreed rn npon ana 4 Sly a1srao of that fSG
part Of the Turkish empire between the
Gulf OF AlexAndretta and Suez, In
this division there was allotted to
France the region of which Beyrout Is
the port and Damascus the most con-
siderable CITY. Included IN II naturally
Near mast know that this has been
for centuries a field Of French cul-
ture and French Influence, and In a
sense Of cultural propaganda. In this
region, France has d considerable eooa
nomlo interest, including most of the
railways,
Under the new dispensation which
undertakes to recognize the desires OF
various Municipalities, 1t is now urged
not without force. that Syria should
be permitted to constitute itself into
q separate state. Of the, elect to be-
come a portion OF the somewhat imag-
mary kingdom OF Hedjas, In fact. Ii
All claims to Syria, ands II is urged
that any failure OF France 70 make
such sacrifice ~conviots the French OF
old fashioned colonial imperialism.
The claim of France to Syria is sen.
tlmental, as we'll as economic, but such
information as can gather leads me
TO believe that however strongly Of
fetal France views claiihe, the Syrian
question will not be permitted to break
up concord between the various ma
lions and am convinced that the
French people would not support n
military expedition to conquer Syria,
nor a political quarrel with their
present allies over Syria.
British Interested.
There Is a very considerable possi-
bility that the Syrians themselves, left
70 Themselves, In part, at least, might
elect a French proteotorate of n vague
sort, wholly different from military Do
cupation, and II this should hapten, |
think the French people would under-
stand that the will OF the Syrian PEG.
pie should be recognized; but so far
The question Of the African colonies
Of Germany Is not as vitality Interest,"
ing to the French as II Is to the British,
France, under her arrangement with
Great Britain, would normally receive
PaIN W 1oAOlaiu anu III OF CamerOni
but II Is my judgment that the French
are vastly less concerned over the pos
sible return to Germany Of Central
African colonies than are the British,
for whom German West Africa Is a
menace to the union OF South Africa,
and German East Africa Ia a standing
threat IN the road to India.
In the same way there Is q pro.
nouneed French desire to see the Span.
ish evioted from North Africa, where
their preoarious position In Morocco Ia
a menace alike to Spain and to France,
a source of endless expense, and no
benefit; but here again French pur.
pose Ia expressed in the desire to pur.
chase what Spain cannot administer,
'as we purchased the Philippines from
the same nation. Such In brief Is a
summary OF the French view OF the
peace conference, SO far as It concerns
material things, wish l could EN-.
phasize the fact that the mood OF
France In Insisting upon material as
well as physical guarantees against
German aggression Is the inevitable
consequence OF the last four years. In
her ruined cities, her desolate fields,
her suffering population, France sees
q threat of new German invasion. For
her greatest task is to make the ,su.
preme tragedy unlikely again. She does
not seek to occupy the left bank 81
the Rhine, She does strive to provide
that a new German invasion shall start
at the Rhine and not across II, in the
very heart OF her own and Belgian In
dustrial districts. No other one of the
nations has the same concerns, since
no other one of the great nations has
endured the same agonies. France al
the conferences asks the nations that
more or less tardily recognized that
their fate vas linked up with her, ia
Join her In taking material and physi-
cal guarantees against a return Of the
barbarian.
To some Americans, this seems chau-
vinletic, To others, Il seems an In
credible thing that the French hesitate
TO accept the moral assurance held out
by the league OF nations, and display
apprehension that what happened re-.
gently may happen again; but th.s ID
an. act Of faith beyond the owe OF
French people. They hope, but they
do not believe-becauao all other guar.
antees OF peace have proven made.
auate--that the league OF nations will
finally close the avenues OF invasion
TO tho north; but they believe hat IN
40 far A. they can Il 10 their duty d
their country and to the future to bal
those avenues, material as well as
moral.