El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-04-10

rcsme. Wilson with his Fourteen
Points" intervened- France pleaded
/ her need for protection Wilson said-
The league OF nations VIII rr0tect
I that the league be provided with an
I international army Told this was
I Impossible they renewed their de-
Imand for protection and finally
defensive AuElO-American-E French
treaty Now, however, It appears
. that ths American senate VIII nor
ratify this treaty. and that EnEland's
signature vas conditional upon the
Acceptance OF America
France Forced To Act.
So France, deprived OF the prOtec-
+ ton Of a league which Yields no
force. her alliance with her two
strongest partners torn 70 pieces.
finds herself exactly where she was
I at first-tace to face and alone With
her mortal foe
What mere natural than that
she should renew her demand for
the greatest material safeguard
she can taEe-fhe Rhine frontfers
That viii be the Freneh nrru-
meut, when the time comes 10
meet the repronches Of America
and England And France. I sus-
peet, viii not argue the poiHf
firstT she viii create a situation
in advance that viii make arsu-
menf useless
In summing up below the statas 0i
the more Important countries in Eu-
rope, Il should be Understood that the
writer has not been y many OF them;
but In al cases the best Information
available In border states and IN the
great capitals has been sought and
teuoencious propaganda discarded
whenever 10 could be detected.
Great Britain.
Il Is almost misleading 20 consider
With her world wide empire. her com
mand Of the sea. OF gold mines and
raw materials everywhere. she IS
exempt from most OF the difficulties
that beset the continent The weak
ness o. the pound sterling in New
York Is due. not 70 weakness Of Brit
lsh finance. but 70 the enormous
loans made By England 20 Russia
france and Italy EuElanG's
economic position IS ast0nishingly
strong
Her heroic taxation imposed in 1915
and sim maintained is putting her
straight more rapidly than her most
optimistic statesmen thought pos
sible when the war ended Only the
collapse OF most OF the continent
which would destroy British mar
kers. could drag England down nov.
am aware that this summary OF ar
lalrs IS more favorable taan some
observers would think justified. but
il is not made without careful In
vestigation and viii. I think. be ac-
knowledged ven founded within the
year
france and Taxation
That French policy which most ir-
ritares the British. a refusal TO post
rome questions OF Indemnity or repa-
ration until al Europe has been re-
stored as an economic unit, is due 81
great part 20 the fact that france is
essentially an agricultural country.
She IS selL-supporuugs arIi her farm
ers while they have paid the blood
tax have got rich out or the war
But French finance is houelezs1-
tangled First. Freuchmen were told
BY the government. -rhe Germans
VIII pay ALL then recently they were
told. The allies ENGLAND and Amer
lcal VIII Pay all But England and
America see that France IS more
lightly taxed than any other nation.
and they have said that France nust
help herself So france must impose
taxation But the agrarian and re-
dictionary chamber opposes taxation
Il IS upon this economic basis that
the inslstent demand for indemnity
from Germany Is based Without the
indemnities. France. according to her
spokesmen- is ruined
Must Put on Tax.
According 10 foreigners, France
VIII have to tax herself as severely
as England has done. and VIII then
pull through without bankruptcy.
Most krenchmen appear to agree
that the people here would not pay
such taxes.
French industry IS not recovering
rapidly This IS due not SO much 70
ITar-EFe arlness or to labor unrest as
20 the financial morass-
A more paper money - Is
sued prices climb higher AID
highers uorkmeu strike contfu-
uaily 10 set more wages 10 meet
Continued on Page - Column H.