The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-12

Y tt my more than is British
 England and France are wide
 apart at the moment op so many
 questions that the talk of aI-
 Iinpce Is regarded by M. Tardieu
 ns merely cioudins the situa-
 tion.)
 Paris, June 11.-(Special. )-Con-
 fusion still reigns in Europe. It
 manifests itself today in every field three of which deserve especial en- phasis. These are the Anglo-Japa- nese relations. Franco German rela tions and the oriental question.
 Anglo French relations are just emerging from serious crisis. Curiously enough. certain English newspapers, doubtless with the best 1 intentions, have selected just this moment to propose an alliance be- tween the two countries.
 Is the proposal opportune? do not think so.
 Guarantee Treaties | The so-called military guarantee | treaties between France, the United States and Great Britain, negotiated 1 in 1919, remain imperative, owing to the failure of the United States to ratfy. But these treaties were | linked directly with the whole sys tenn of the League of Nations which the United States Senate would not accept. Therefore, even if Great Britain decided to ratify the Anglo French section of the tripartte agreement, Independently of the Franco-American protocol, the result would be quite different from what the Versailles negotiators intended Are these English papers suggest ing an old-fashioned offensive and defensive alliance? In that case 1t Is necessary to give careful thought to the matter to assure an equality of rights and duties between the two contracting parties
 Such study has not yet been made. No definite proposal has been offered Wherefore one is forced to conclude that all such discussion is quite premature, serving more to cloud the atmosphere than to clear | 1t, for an alliance is impossible with out a prior agreement and before ex- l changing commitments France and England must resolve their many disagreements. That is what they have always done in the past. In | 1904 they cleared away their dis agreements, and in 1914 formed an alliance. It seems to me that the present discussion puts the cart be- | fore the horse and is a bad beginning for fruitful work.
 Franco-German Relations Concerning Franco-German rela- tions, they are dominated on the one hand by the formidable concessions made to Germany in the London agreement. and on the other hand by Premier Briand's latest speech ex- pressing confidence in the present German government. Many French men, including myself, regret the concessions, and do not share the confidence expressed.
 | We regret the concessions because all the arguments about Germany's ability to pay the war damage ap- ply even more forcefully to France, since the latter suffered the devasta- l ton while the former is intact, and because what the London agreement lets Germany escape paying, must be paid by France
 We lack confidence because while some of the statements made by Chancellor Wirth and Foreign Min ister Rathenau seem to indicate good will and determination to keep promises. other statements are less req assuring and certain acts tend to further doubts.
 Germany signed the treaty pre- scribing the division of Upper Sile- sia by communes After plebiscite, yet Dr. Wirth claims the whole of Silesia for Germany.
 Wirth also declares he will end General Hoefer's Silesian enterprises. Loxr aA army and assembled his war ma terial without the German govern ment's knowledge and who pursues his activities.
 The German government officially protests against plebiscite campaign in Austria. but the man inspiring these campaignss Is Rosenberg. the German minister at Vienna. verdicts Provoke Dertsion The German government declares ltts Intention to punish those guilty of war crimes, but the Leipsic yer diets provoke nothing but derision. For the sixth or seventh time the German government has promised to Execute the treaty clauses concern ing disarmament, but Hoefer's ex- pioits in SiIesia show how far she IS from disar mament.
 The Frencn peOpie, WHcih 6Soe'" phy has condemned to see Germany at close range. notice these striking manifestations, and when told that the London agreement has magically converted Germany to peace and re- spect for contracts, they are natu- rally skepticai. We have suffered too much to trust so easily in our reighbors.
 At present all is uncertainty. This is particularly true in the orient.
 Our English friends wanted us to follow King Constantine of Greece in a great crusade against the Turks. am convinced the French chamber will never agree to such policy. We had war on our own soil for S2 months. That was enough. We do t'rot want to go to war in Asia M'nor. This. of course. does not depend en- tireiv uror ourselves tNN 'H~'- aiists attack us in Syria we must defend ourselves. But that Is no reason to fight for Greek ambitions French blood will never flow to get territory for Constantine. the brother -in-iaw of the ore-time Kai- ser. William Hohenzollern. 1 Nobody seems to be anxious for an early meeting of the allied supreme council to discuss the oriental uues- ton.
 SECRET OF INDUSTRY From the Boston Transcript
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