Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-31
TARDIEU SHARPLY RAPS
GEORGES TREATY ATTITUDE
BY ANDRE TARDIEU
Former French High Commissioner
to America

|
Ieased Wire Service to The Journal.)
| Copyright, 1921
| (France continues bitter toward Eng
land. Lloyd George appears to French
men to be more anxious to modify the
treaty of Versailles than to enforce 1t.
France asks Nothing which was not
vouchsafed to her in the treaty and is
tired of having to negotiate with Lloyd
George every time a question arises I'M
der the treaty A full and frank dis
custom must be had to bring about a
better understandings
PARIS, May 2S.-This weeks long
parliamentary debate on the repara-
tions and Silesian questions empha-
sizes certain indica tons 1 gave in my
dispatch last Sunday about the state
of French public opinion.
France is saturated to the point
which have been going on for whole
year with the allies and with Ger
many. The purposes of these negoti-
atoms at first was said to be an
improvement. in the machinery es-
tablished by the treaty of Versailles.
But as time has gone on France has
seen that all these so-called i'm
provements have operated to her
detriment.
At San Reno, in April, 1920; at
Spa, in July; at Paris, in January,
decisions were reached regarding Ger
man disarmament, all of which in
practice resulted in nothing but the
granting of additional postponements
to a recalcitrant conquered nation.
AS far as reparations are con-
ferences progressively reduced the
total of Frances credits. They re-
coded from 136,O00,000.00O gold marks
to 100000 and then to 95,-
000,000,000 and finally to 68,000,000,-
900, always without obtaining any
effective guarantee, of payment in
exchange for the reductions.
Lloyd Georges Speech
In every case the excuse for the
reductions was the necessity of main
which, of course, France ardently
desires. But we now see, on the one
hand, that this agreement has been
of as means of effective action
as 1T ought to have been. On the
other hand, it is apparent from Lloyd
Georges recent oratorical SallieS, to-
gether with the tone of a certain ele-
ment of the British press, that there
Frances repeated concessions even
in attaining an accord with England
l feel sure our American friends
easily understand our state of mind
They are extremely anxious to pre-
serve an independence not incompat-
ible with cooperation with their
former associates for certain definite
ends.
France has never claimed against
Germany anything but the rights con-
ferred by the peace treaty which
Great Britain signed. Therefore, it
is quite understandable that the
French people are growing tired OF
the necessity of constantly negotiat-
ing supplementary agreements with
Lloyd George, none of which has
been advantageous to France.
The French think that contracts
| should be executed as they are writ
| ten. The United States has not
| ratified the treaty of Versailles, anG
France has not questioned America
right to act thus. Britain, however
| has ratified the treaty md France is
astonished to see tn. British prime
minister constantly seeking to modi.
| fly rather than enforce.
| I do not know whether Lloy6
| George realizes fully the conse
| in all sincerity that Frances strong
| ly expressed anxiety over his Silesiar
| declarations is due to realization
| that this latest attitude is merely
|
pursued ever since the treaty of Yer
sallles was promulgated.
Wants Free Discussion
| Do | seem to be pessimistic about
the allied agreement and to recon-
mend policy of isolation fol
| France? Not at all. But 1 do thinl
that France and England must ST
| down and talk frankly with eacl
| other.
1t is quite possible that the sue
cessive French governments, since
Clemenceau's retirement, have not in
sisted strongly enough to Lloyc
| George on the French parliament!
determination that France shall no
pay in .Germany's place. But tina
| is what the latest agreement amounts
to, on Premier Brands own confes
sion. Nothing could compensate FOL
such sacrifice except the obtaining
| through allied cooperation, of firmel
guarantees of eventual payment by
| Germany.
Where are these guarantees
Lloyd Georges attitude wheneveI
| this question arises, is far from re
| assuring. And when Lloyd George
asks France to abide by the treaty il
the Silesian matter (Which is al
| France ever Asked, French opinion
| thinks it "bit too thin
France is as necessary to England
as England is to France. They mus
| stick together. But between then
| there must be an equality of right:
and duties and fidelity to engage
ments, with a certain amount of dis
| erection in tense moments. Above all
when misunderstanding arises ther'
must be prompt mutual explanations
instead of allowing the misunder
standing to spread and grow unit
| we are at such point as now
1 believe a full and frank discus
| sion will bring about better un
| derstanding. The sooner the better
In the middle ages drunkards usec