New-York tribune., 1920-09-26
Clemenceau's Defensive Policy
Takes the Place Of League
Idea

ee the Treaty Of Versailles. FINALLY
by coming to an understanding u;.h ~
Italy she has partially erased thu N.
terness resulting from the Clemsn
eeau course at Paris and acou;rss
measurable security in the soutbesst
Thus France is free, if German,
again challenges the Treaty Of Yer.
sailles, to act without any large -.
gard either for American or British
views. To be sure, such action
might cost her the moral advantss.
incident to the continuation of u.
occupation Of German territorvsb.
American and British forces g.,
this moral advantage is of )itfls
material benefit, both because tss
forces are of themselves sma, ana
because it is an open secret Tia,
neither nation would reinforce then
in case of any German aperessso.
which menaced France alone. Abo,ys
all, they would not reinforce thsm
to strengthen France merely to "a.
slst in the literal application Of tls
terms Of the treaty Of peace.
France Strengthens Hand !. \
France has, then, pretty satisfss
torily maaepvered out Of the evil
situation in which she found herself
when the refusal of the United
States Senate to accept the Treaty
Of Versailles as it had been signed
and the absence of any American
ratification of the treaty Of insur.
ance removed ali promise Of Anglo.
Saxon support to French policies on
the Continent. She has also eseaued
from the crippling influence Of ths
manifest change in British seati.
N1ent and the unmistakable suppert
by vitally important British ele.
ments Of the proposal to seek mod.
ification of the terms Of the Treaty
Of Versailles at the expense 81
France and for the benefit Of Ger.
many Immediately and Of world
peace indirectly.
IL Germany now repeats her Of.
Tending of the spring, France can
act with little regard for British.or
American criticism. Her army is in
good condition; the recent Polish
episode was shining evidence Of
the efficiency Of French Leadership
and the demonstration Of the fac.
that even when Foch goes he will
leave behind him able pupils capable
of applying his methods and achiey.
ing his results. Even the Germans
did not conceal their admiration q.
the victory Of the Vistula.
Ever since the armistice Francs
has been compelled to listen to
American and British advice, evan
when it was hurtfuI to her interesh,
as she saw them, because she felt
the need of British and American
support in case of any new German
attack. She has now recognized
that she cannot depend on either
and that further concessions arc
likely to result not in corresponding
profit to France, but only in further
losses. Recognizing this, she has
finally substituted Continental FOX
an AngloSaxon policy; she hiss r.
gained her freedom of action by h@
old-fashioned bargains with the Bel
giaps, the Poles and the ItaliaRA
We shall see the consequences q
this new situation in all subsequent
Franco-German crises over the sp.
plication of the Treaty Of Versaillsa
We shall probably see it in a dellb
crate German effort to avoid such
crises over relatively unimportsns
issues, since the Germans must rec
ognize that the French have beth
the purpose and the power to inaH
upon the integral enforcement Of tho
Treaty of Versailles. The efortm
the British-of the so-called Liberals
of the Keynes school, who have, With
the Labor groups, so profoundly saF
fiuenced Lloyd Georges policy, botf
In the case Of Germany and Of kHt'
sia-has been blocked now by s@
success of the French in escaping
from British and American leading
strings. =
That the Italians will continue 10
follow the British in any negesIa'
tions to open commercial relations
with Bolshevist Russia is probable
given the Italian domestic situation
But France, through Poland, hss
struck 9 terrible blow to BolsheVia
Russia, and it is at least posslbs
to hors that Bolshevism in and eu'
Of Russia will not recover from tfH
blow Immediately. In any event, fs
Polish episode has enabled sns
French to postpone British reeos'
nition of Russia, as the Red repre-