The New York herald., 1921-12-31
S7EED, DEPARTING,
LAUDS CONFERENCE
London Editor Gives I'm
pressions at Farewell
Dinner Here.
SYMPATHY FOR FRANCE
Hopes for Agreement That
Will Lull Her Fear of
Germany.
EUROPE is DISCUSSED
EUROPE IS DISCUSSED
Francis II. Sisson, Frank A.
Vanderlip and Frank A.
Munsey Are Speakers.

The esteem in which he is held by
American newspaper men was con-
veyed to II. Wickham Steed, editor of
the London Times, in the fountain
room of the Hotel Biltmore last night,
where he was the guest at dinner of
William w. Hawkins. president of the
| United Press.
Mr.. Steed, who is returning to Lon
don, declared that the arms confer
ence had done wonderful service. He
deplored whatever failures the confer
ence might have to experience, but.
paying tribute to President Harding
and Secretary Hughes. declared that
human affairs seldom run as smooth
ly as those Of lofty and unselflsh ideals
would wish"
One of the great disappointments.
he said. had been the attitude of
France. But, he went on to say. he
wondered whether some OF the fault
was not that of the other Powers in
that they have failed to see France as
France sees herself.
Mr.. Hawkins acted as toastmaster.
The other speakers were Frank A.
Vanderlip, Francis H. Sisson, Frank
A. Munsey, Herbert Bayard Swope
and William B. Colver.
Talks of Conference.
Mr.. steed in his speech said:
"On the eve Of departure ones
thoughts turn naturally to the Washing
ton conference. to the great work 1t has
lone and the work It still has to do.
"Even should 1t leave undone some
things which President Harding hoped
II might do. that will be no reason for
dependency but rather a reason for
quiet. persistent effort on the part OF all
those-and they number scores Of mill
ions In many lands--who share his aspi-
upon the American reople Ia whose
name he acts and speaks.
"Tn the affairs OF nations, as in ma
ture, progress is rarely made by leaps
and bounds Mr.. Harding saw a tide
flowing in the direction OF smaller arma.
ments and greater good will and he
sought to take 1t at the flood. The
flood is still running. Notwithstanding
appea RANGES OF a partial ebb. 1t may
ct carry the conference and its precious
argo safely into port.
You know. in outline. what the Brit
ish delegates at Washington have done
and have tried to do They have worked
well and honestly. Without belittling
the labors of men like the British AM
bassador, who has deserved we'll of his
own country and of yours. there hss been
no more striking feature ut the confer
ence than the emergence of n youthful
ssptuagenarian called Balfour, full of
energy and fire and of belief whose
foundations he would no longer call
slender
But the British delegates have en-
| joyed an advantage denied to the French.
They knew enough English to be able to
| understand American. The French have
found 1t hard to learn either English or
American and have often seemed to be
working amid very unfamiliar surround
ings. Hence. perhaps. some of the state
ments that have surprised the world, for
the world has been prone to forget the
smf ttering Of French II acquired during
| the war.
How would IL be IL the rest OF the
world. and England in the first place, set
itself for a while to polish up fits French
| Ii might then understand better. for, as
the French say. to understand all Is to
pardon sll. And IL /, who have spent
many years in not entirely unsuccess-
fui study of French, might venture to
sketch out few lessons. they would run
somewhat on these lines:
France still Suffering.
Remember that France Is still suf-
fering from the shock OF the war. Re-
member she mourns 100000 men below
ground or more or less disabled above
ground. Think what that means to the
economy. to the productive power. 20
the nerve strength of nation of less
than 100000. Think also that France
Is proud and proudly sensitive. We all
did our part In the war. and Il could
not have been won had any OF the prin-
cipal allied and associated nations
stayed out. But where should we all
have been without France7 Nearby a
place called Nowhere. France knows
this and hates to feel she is being in
any way overlooked or ignored. or even
unintentionally slighted by her former
comrades. Rightly or WRONGLY be-
lieve wrongly--she has felt this, and
her attitude at Washington may be
merely her pretty way OF leaving her
visiting card upon US, just 20 remind US
OF her presence and to say that she still
feels her position insecure.
IF so, and groundless though her
Fears may be, why should we not reas-
sure her?
I'm the nature OF things. the first
step must come from England. You
Americans. great people though you be,
cannot take II. You do not quite under
stand European and some of you
fondly believe--in a world that In daily
Ghrinklng and becoming more and more
interdependent--that American Is good
enough for you. There have been signs
lately In England that In some official
quarters the idea OF giving security TO
France by arranging that several of the
principal European allies should guar
antee. Jointly and severaliy. the neutral
.ty OF the Rhineland, has found favor
and has been practically considered.
trust these signs are as the signs OF
coming spring after winter of dlscon-
tent. I trust also that means may be
found TO remove from France the burden
OF her war debt toward England and
that simultaneously. by some just ar
rargement so framed az not to wound
legitimate French susceptibilities, the
reparations problem may be rendered
more manageable.