The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-07
EXCHANGE
OF CHILDREN
Frenchman Has Suggestion tor IN
creaoing Neighborliness 6e.
tween His Country
and America.
[By Professor Andre Fribourg, Writ
ten for the United Press.l

college of the University or Parls
He served as a soldier during the
war and was wounded at Verdun. He
has been touring the United states
for the past Ave months, lecturing
and gathering information Tor the
French press and government on
American-French relations. Profes'
sor Fribourg is the author OF dozen
books, mainly on modern history ana
topics relating to foreign affa1rs.l
The American and the French
people more nearly resemble each
other than do any other two nations
in the world. Therefore, when ! re-
turn to Paris, shall report to my
government that every encourage
ment should be given to close I'M
derstanding between. yourselves and
ourselves.
You Americans, as far as tempera-
ment is concerned, are the direct
descendants of the English of Shakes
peare's day. You are not like the
present inhabitants of the British
Isles. You resemble more the Eliza
bethan English, who were more Ike
the French than the English of to-
day. That is why you have so many
traits in common with the modern
French. When Shakespeare wrote
his plays, the French and English
were similar From that time on the
English character in the British
Isles did not develop along the same
lines as the French. Only the Eng
lish who came to America continued
the tradition.
Americans and French are alike In
and persistent optim-
ism. They have the same eager
They react in similar
manners to similar experiences.
They are quick in thought and their
is never at rest. They are
the modern Elizabethans. This fact.
which l have discovered in America,
has caused me to determine to recon-
mend to the French government that
an exchange of children be arranged
between our two countries. Amer1-
can children between the ages of Is
and 16 should be sent to France to
live In full home intimacy with
French families. French children of
the same impressionable age should
come to the United States and be
temporarily adopted here. By this
means, the next generation in France
and America would know one another
as intimately as they know them
selves.
I shall also urge upon the French
government the desirability of ex-
changing professors and students
with American universities. / favor
the universities of each country
one another as sister insti-
buttons, SO that they shall have
greater sense Of comradeship than
usually follows the more formal ex-
changes of lecturers.
These are some of the ways by
which our Impressions of each other
can be moulded by actual facts, In
stead of absurd rumors and false re-
ports. The only reason Frenchmen
and Americans have not been seen
to resemble each other hitherto is
because our views of each other have
been too distant. We have trusted
our fundamental character
istics
Once it is understood how SINH
larly we view life and how parallel
are our ideals, believe we ought to
be in a position to form a military
l. am convinced the eco
nomic pressure which the league of
nations has created as it's principal
weapon will never be able to prevent
wars. Germany not only resisted the
pressure, but fought the world al
most to a victorious end. The league
of nations must have military
weapons until the spirit of idealism
has permeated the peoples of the
earth. The best weapon of this kind
would be Franco-American entente,
making known to the world that the
armies and navies of both countries
have been united as formal allies for
the preservation Of peace. The
union is the worlds
peace.