Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-03-26
NO JUSTIFICATION FOR PRESI-.
DENT WILSON'S INSULT TO
FRANCE.

Washington, March 22.-The Repub-
lican Publicity Association, through
Jr., today gave out the following
statement from it's Washington head
quarters:
ITO the merest tyro in internation-
al diplomacy, it must be readily ap-
parent that President Wilson has
grossly overstepped the bounds OF
proprety in his comment upon the
character OF the present administra-
ton OF the Government of France. He
went out OF his way to comment upon
the evils OF German miiItarlsm and in
the same connection spoke Of the
present administration in France as
militaristic. This could be nothing
more nor less than an insinuation
that the Government of France is al
most, il not quite, in the same cate
CORY as the former administration OF
the Kaiser. The inference, of course,
is not justified by the facts.
But whether President Wilson's
statement was true or not, it was
maniteStly an improper comment for
the head of one nation to make con-
corning the head OF another. The kind
or government France shall have and
the policies which that government
shall maintain, are purely a question
between the administration of France
and the people OF that nation. If the
people OF France are satisfied with
the policies the administration pur-,
sues, no other nation has a right to
complain so long as those policies
do not infringe upon international
rights.
President Wilson's remark re-
garding the present administration in
France is an indelicate and imperti-
nent as it would be for the President
OF France to remark that although
the war in Europe was fought to make
the world safe for democracy, yet it
is manifest to all the people of the
world that the government which
boasts most of its love of democracy
is now under the domination of the
greatest autocrat in the world.
President Wilson would, of course,
take ofense at such remark as that
from the President of France, but
such comment would be practically
true, President Wilson prates of de-
mocracy but he is autocratic in ev-
cry respect and to every extent pos
Sible. Yet, If the people of the Unit
ed States are willing to tolerate an
autocrat here, that is no business of
the President of France. Neither is
It any concern of Woodrow Wilson
Or any other United States official II
france chooses to elect to the con-
Lrol or its national affairs and con-
,inue in power men who are militar-
site i'll their tendencies.
But there was no justification In
act for the Presidents insult. France
has just emerged from war with her
greatest enemy. Germany was not
1anquished; her people do not now
concede that they were defeated. AL.
led soldiers on guard in former Ger
nan territory are subjected not only
% personal insults, but to violence.
Germany is endeavoring to relieve
herself from some of the obligations
)f the treaty. In view of these and
)ther circumstances we'll known to
he world, it would be folly for France
% neglect continued maintenance of
such military forces as may be nee.
'ssary for the protection of her in.
rights and for the enforce
nent Of the agreements to which Ger
many became party in the signing
If the Treaty of Peace.
France is not militaristic, but, IL
'he were, it would not lie within the
province OF the official head of the
United States Government to say so,
'r to criticize her policy"