New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-08
Germans Must Respect
Treaty in End, French
Army Chief Tells Cor
respondent of Tribune
Hopes That Berlin
Will Yield Quietly
Criticizes Polish Govern
ment for Launching At
tack on the Bolsheviki
By Ralph Courtney
Specio. Cable IN The Tytbxs.

By Ralph Courtney
Special Cable to The Tribune
Copyright. 1920. New York Tribune Inc.
SPA, Belgium, July 7.-Marshal
Foch, who is here to advise leaders
Of the Allied governments in their
negotiations with the Germans on
the enforcement of the Treaty OF
Versailles, received me this MORN
ing at the villa in which the Kaiser
had his famous underground retreat
during the war.
/ asked him about the failure Of
the Germans to carry out the dis
armament provisions of the treaty.
II hope it will not be necessary to
use force to compel the Germans to
respect the treaty to which they at
fixed, their names," said Marshal
Foch, "but if it is necessary we are
prepared
"As usual, the representatives of
the German government who came
here to parley with US are raising
distractions and making difficulties.
But we must remain firm in our de-
termination. The Allied nations
must be united in purpose. If our
position is consolidated the Germans
must yield in the end.
Nothing to Fear, If United
IF our back is strong we have
nothing to fear from the enemy. We
must defend ourselves by enforcing
the fulfilment of the treaty"
Marshal Foch has been in confer
ence in the last two days with Field
Marshal Sir Henry Wilson, British
chief of staff, on the ACCESSIBILITY Of
extending aid to the Polish armies.
which are retreating before the Boil
sheviki. Asked about the Polish sit
uation, and whether he had been au-
thorized to give the Poles his sup
port, Marshal Foch said:
Certainly not. 1 am too old to
believe in military adventures such
as theirs. Young nations find it diff
ficult to restrain their activities, and
think that is the case with Poland
My counsel has always been one Of
prudence.
"The Poles should have begun by
consolidating the internal life of
their country; then they could have
turned to external problems. De-
spite my reputation of being an inn
perialist, l do not sympathize with
expeditions of conquest, and, Of
course, that is what the Polish cam
paign started out to be-"
Discusses Strategic Possibilities
Referring to the advice which
Premier Lloyd George is said to have
given to the Polish representatives
who besought him for aid that they
ought to make peace with their enc
mics, Marshal Foch said:
peace with whom, the Bolsheviki!
Theirs is no government"
Discussing the strategic possibili-
ties of the Polish situation, the Mar
shall continued:
"The Poles ought to choose a line
Of great natural strength which they
could defend. They must marshal
their armies there, conforming to
that line and making their last stand
there.
"The Poles started out to go to Mos
cow" Marshal Foch added, smiling
~, and tapping his head, as much as
to say that only lunatics would have
attempted such a venture.
"The great Napoleon lost himself
in Russia" he said. "It is easy to
enter Russia, but one comes out
faster than one goes in"
Mafsnai FCch expressed satisfac-
ton over the way in which the Greek
campaign in Asia Minor was being
conducted against the Turkish Ma.
tionalists under Mustapha Renal.
When we finished talking Marshal
Foch went directly to the session Of
the Supreme Council, where the
terms of the treaty with Turkey
were under consideration. 1t was
decided that only minor alterations
should be made in that document.
Although there has been consider
able discussion among the Allied
leaders, no decision has yet been
reached on the question of the pro-
portions which each Allied nation IL
to receive of the total sum which
Germany is to pay in reparation Coz
damages.