The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-06-11

fees to remind us that our people
and that of American are made to be
closely united. More than one proof
has already been given of this. What
is then making few timid spirits
worry about the future of the friend
ship?
The foundation for this friendship
is the very bedrock of their character
their most intimate and strongest
sentiments, their common ideal,
their identity of interests in the
present and the future. The con-
fusion is caused by few transitory
Misunderstanding.
What are they?
From the American point of view !:
1. Whereas our taxes have been
quintupled, those of France have not
increased proportionately. Before
asking her friends to help her she
should make use of her own re-
sources
That is quite true. Or it would be
true if the proportionate wealth were
the same as before the war in the
two countries. But France has been
impoverished to a degree which
cannot even attempt to estimate,
whereas the United States which, be-
fore the war, was Europe's debtor,
is now her creditor for more than
fifty billion francs. France lost on
the battlefields a man for every
thirty inhabitants; the United States
left one for every three thousand.
But" comes the reply from
across the ocean, 1--WE don't deny
Frances loss Of human lives. We
disapprove her for not giving heI
gold as readily as her Blood"
Beware" might be replied in
France. Your arguments may turn
against you. In proportion to our
population we sacrificed a hundred
times as many of our children as you
of your, and if we could estimate
our proportionate financial sacrifices,
they would be even greater. Re-
garding taxes, which the Americans
claim are not as heavy in France as
they should be, the answer is, France
paid her taxes in advance.
1--WE made our financial contribu-
ton in the beginning, when We sent
you hundreds of billions of francs for
the munitions you shipped to us.
You rendered us service for which
we shall be eternally grateful, but it
must not be forgotten that while
your spokesman declared you were
too proud to fight, and no official
voice was raised to protest against
the invasion of Belgium, the fate of
the world was being decided on our
soil 1t was then that we paid-lib-
erally-our share of the taxes.
I'VE provided the battlefield and
defended i, alOne-for a long time.
Consider our financial contribution
to the war; ten of the richest de-
partments sacrificed to the terrible
god of war, our factories destroyed,
their machinery wrecked or stolen,
our crops uprooted, our mines
flooded. In order to compare with
this the United States would have
to be laid waste from Cleveland to
Detroit. Don't say we didn't pay
we paid in advance.
2. You did not really welcome
the soldiers we sent to help you.
Your peasants and tradespeople took
advantage of them shamefully. They
came back with the impression that
they were charged ten times too
much for the very necessaries of
life
The complaint is founded. Of
course, it may be argued that the
soldiers who came here to defend us
also came to defend humanity, in
Guiding themselves. Eggs were sold
to Americans at too high a price But
the fault was with your own soldiers.
Do not protest until l explain.
Before the war our farm laborers
earned less than $100 day. Gm |
of the pre-war dollar, worth |
francs 25.) To them a five-franc
pice was something rather sacred,
because the saving of one meant con-
siderable sacrifice and privation; it
considerable effort, pa
.ience, labor Your soldiers arrived
and in their search for comfort they
wanted French products Immediately
Is though entitled to them. They
we're eXtravagant. They were de-
lighted to see the radiant and con-
used expression of the humble folk
o whom they gave a dollar for a
small service or for food worth far
ess. In order to get the choice of
,ur markets they offered ten sous for
IN egg for which we used to pay two
ous. The result was that all French
people had to pay fifty centimes for
IN egg while the peasants lost an
of the value of money.
Such are the grievances of Amer
ca. What are the French? They are
# a different kind and it's not so
asy to describe them. But among
men it's better to talk straight from
he shoulder, so to speak, and to
lave it out. Besides, one of our
grievances, like yours, is based on a
We were mistaken
n rooord RI tho pouor. IF tho nroci-