Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-25

1 Evacuation Of rrankfort-May 25---
New York, May 25.-Jhe evacuation
of Frankfort, the return Of the French
troops within the lines marked by the
Treaty Of Versailles, should serve 70
silence for the time being at least, the
familiar legend that the rnilitaristic ele-
rnents in France are in control and are
driving toward the annexation oi Ger
man territory 1t should serve too, ~
refutation for the. not less evil report that
the French are planning TO use the failure
of the Germans To comply with the pro-
visions Of the treaty, to extend their area
occupation.
There IL in France party which urges
annexation. It is not as considerable as the
fraction Of American public opinion winch
advocates the Use Of British debts 70 thus
country as the basis for compelling the
British 20 code 10 rs the West lndies,
Canada the Bermudas. ~ Is not nearly as
important as the American group which
advocates the extension Of United StaJea
control from the Rio Grande 10 Panama'
The declarations Of this French group Of
annexationists are taken IN foreign colin-
| tries as the expression Of the VIII ol INC
| French people just as, m Solth America
| and Mexico. the views Of an insignificant
! UtlfTltfeF Ui hiHEf1EHtH hAE AffptA'1@ 80 80
| revelations Of the purpose Of a majority oi
| the people Of the United States British,
/ German, Italian critics of France, seize
| upon these French utteranccs as weapons
| made TO their hands.
But the fact is still unmistakable. For
| policy Of annexation there ls next 70 nc
/ e,lpport in France. The mass Of the
/ French people are Just as much opposed n
/ n policy based upon annexations up To the
| Middle Rhine as the ma aiority Of Americans
| are against a campaign Of aggrandise'
ment. whether directed against Mexico oi
/ Canada. The trouble with the wholf
question lies in the fact that there IS stIl
another clement in the situation growInl
out Of the history Of France and the eH
periences Of a hundred years, marked by
four invasions.
What the French people desire IS Sc
curity, security within the limits fxed .,
tho treaty Of Versailles, which are tn
limits Of France as il existed before m
| Franco-Pr,Issian War and since the fall o
NAPOLEON. Were there any human method
Of JnstIring France against fresh German
assault. were there any reasonable eVi
denceg Of q remuneration Inv Germany o
her appetite for expansion at the e1pens
az her neiqhbors. the question Of tn
Rhine barrier would disappear auto
matically.
The proof Of this fact lies in the histor
of the Peace Conference The soldier
demanded for France the Rhine barrier 9
a military matter. The word Of Marsha
Foch carried the greatest weight u Franc
on the morrow Of victory y ct whel
President Wilson and Lloyd George oteI
ed TO France a substitute III the treaty 9
Anglo-American insurance. ClerneDcea
took Il without a moments hesitation an
the French people as q mass accepted
without criticism.
The reopening Of the question ot th
Rhine dates from the moment when -
United States senate IN rejecting th
Treaty Of Versailles gave final evIdenc
that it would not accept the Anglo
American treaty Of insurance. BIRTHS
guarantees fell with American, becaus
thew were conditioned upon America
participation in the Watch on the Rhine.
Thus France found herself again faced b
the old dangers, found herself q she was
when the advice Of Foch was rejected p
Ciemenceau and the guarantees OF BrItau
and the United States accepted az a sun
stitute
The whole problem turns upon trenc
security IF the German Is 70 resume ~
old predatory habits, there = no plac
where he can be fought with 50 much az
vantage for France and Belgium. and x
Britain. as far as that goes, - at IA
Rhine. Given the conditions ot modeF