Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-02
|ANGLO-FRENCF1 BREACH
SETTLED AT SAN RENO
Underlying Suspicious of Two Countries
Analysed and Warning Given Against
Optimism. by Mr.. Simonds.

their ally and seeking to enter into
new commercial relations with af
enemy OF yesterday. now. so far as
the British are concerned. incapable
of aggression. but potentially a men,
ace to France.
And the more one examines these
two suspicious the more IT becomes
manifest that they are not mere de-
velopments Of the moment. On the
| contrary. for centuries the tradition
of a militaristic France has survived
| in England This fact explained the
relative eauanimity with which the
British saw the Germans crush and
mutilate France in 1870. Across the
channel. England has Always been
"perfidious Albion" and the French
have read in the history OF British
| intePmixture with continental AFFAIR."
the invariahle purpose to use the
continental powers for British pur-
poses. but to change partners at the
close OF each dance.
In a word. the disputes over the
treaty of Versailles have revived on
| both sides of the channel. sentiments
and opinions which were only mo-
| mentarily silenced during the war
and remained in the back of English
and French minds even in the heat
! of the struggle. Thus, in a sense. the
| French have been expecting TO be.
| betrayed. the British to see a new
| birth of French militarism. Five cen
turtles of war. rivalry. mutual dis,
trust have created in both countries
| a fixed state of mind toward the
| other, which. II not irradicable. con-
stitutes a factor little less than per-'
| manent.
Hence the basis Of real cooperation
between France and Great Britain cam
only be found in some agreement 80
| definite. so precise, as to leave no OPP
portunity for the operation OF the,
secular distrusts of both nations. IL
Britain and France are to continue
| to work together then there must be-
a precise statement of the obligations
I, Of each to the other. But this means
a definite and formal alliance. which
is exactly the thing the present ma.
| jority in Great Britain opposes an@
| the whole of France demands. with,
out any qualification.
Agreement I'm stress of War.
| The agreement between France and
Britain, signed when the Germans
were within sight of Paris in Sep
TENDER, 1914. to make no separate
peace with the enemy. is fair exI,
ample of the sort of understanding
which admits Of no questioning ON
either side. The formal pledge OF the,
British to support France. with all
| arms in case of a new German ar
tack would in a measure answer the
have to be reinforced by an agrees
ment to keep an adequate number Oh
troops under arms In Britain to MAKE
the pledge Of real value. for Francs
| does not want again to be raced pS
Germany in arms and find with her at
the moment of the first shock only
10000 British. as was the case IN
1914.
| Failing such a categorical commits
ment, the French will not, cannot, ec-
the matter of dealing with Germanye
If the British agree to accept me
French view in the matter of the dis
armament Of Germany, in the matter
| Of safeguarding the French future:
| the way is open to urge the trencn to
| accept the British view in the matter
| of the application-not the REVISION
of the economic details Of the treaty
| of Versailles.
But Britain is in no mood now to
take on new military Representatives.
to maintain an army OF. say. quafS
ter of a million. exclusive of all forces
marked for colonial service. whicT
will be ready to move to the conti-.
nent il Germany strikes at France
again. On the contrary. the driving
motive of the present British policy.
the underlying explanation OF the
prevailing British view. is the NOS
ton that if the British idea prevails
| IL the economic phases OF the treaty
are revised. there will be an END OF
any danger from Germany, while II
the French view prevails. then there
will be unacceptable necessity for ne"
military establishments. t.
| Contrast Of Views.
At bottom both the British ana
!. the French views rest upon a hypos
thesis impossible now to establish be-
yond question. The British assume
that the application Of their policy
will infallibly result not merely In the
economic but the moral regeneratioh
Of Germany. They insist that the Ger.
man, if he be now dealt with gener-
ously and considerably, will presently
| ly prove himself to be good Euro.
pean"; that he will turn adrift all his
old leaders scrap" all his old ambia
lions and aspirations. discharge his
swashbuckling generals. voluntarily
dismiss his armies and proceed to re-
pay the world such debts as are not
forgiven.
Obviously II it were possible to
prove in advance that this would be
| the fact. the French would be out OF
court. but it isn't. Meantime the
French retort that the German has
done certain things for many cens
turtles, most reprehensible OF which
ment four times repeated in the last
q, century, each time with the result
that French territory was ravaged
and certain frontier districts tempo
rarily or permanently stolen. As to-
German deeds during the last invaT
sion. they require no proof. Now.
either the German will change his
French assert the German is immuts-
BILE. But If he doesn't change 1t wifi
be France which will have to pay thu
costs.
| Copyright. 1920. Mcclure Newspaper syndicste.f