The Washington times., 1921-11-22


lous to hear 1t oyer again from the In
tsrpreter. Yes. we were confirmed.
he really had said that. Poor ex-
hAusted Russia. who saved Paris, de-
string, nothing but to be left alone.
tled white. starving. invaded by
score of subsidized adventurers, In
vaded from Esthonia, from Poland.
from Japan. In MurmAnsk, In the Crt
mea. In the Ukraine, on the Volga. In
cessantiy invaded--it IL this Russia
which has put France upon the often.
| siye-defensiye! One In reminded OF
the navy who kicked his wife TO
lence.
ct Ia interesting to recall here that
one Of the kaiser's favorite excuses for
German armament, when 1t was Ger.
many and not France which aspired
TO dominate Europe. was his acute
dread of the Yellow Pertl)
When he talked to the journalists In
preparati ton for this display. M. BRAND
excused France for wanting subma-
rines In quantity because he said she
was liable to attack upon three coaatr.
But maturer reflection omitted this
aspect Of the French case from NJ.
Brands GRAFTON. 1t was too thick
even for an American audience. And
even Mr. Balfour. with all his charm
ing tenderness for q Acknowledgement,
could not we'll have avoided the plain
question. From whom does France
anticipate a sea attack"
France 10 in about as much danger
OF an attack upon her three coasts
as the United States Of America IL
upon her Canadian frontier. Her ships
are as safe upon the sen as way
farer on Fifth avenue. II she builds
submarines now. she builds them to
attack British commerce and for no
other reason whatever. All the Luz
dondorffs and Soviets in the world do
not Justify single submarine. Every
submarine she launches IL almost as
direct q breach OF the peace with
Britain AZ though she were to start
target practice at Dover harbor
across the straits, and everyone In
England will understand the aim OF
their action as clearly.
M. BRAND. in his discourse to the
Journalists. argued that the empire Of
France was as far-flung as that Of
Britain; that her need to protect her
communications was as great. This
was In the face Of Mr.. Balfour's re-
minder that Britain can feed its peO-
pie only for seven weeks II its over
seas supplies, are cut off. France
can feed from her own soil all the
year round. The argument was not
good enough for a boys debating 30
ciety, and M. BRAND. who is prepared
to scrap nothing else, was at least
well advised to scrap that.
Perplexed by Her Behavior.
will confess that am altogether
perplexed by the behavior of France
at the present time. I do not under
stand what she believes she Is doing
in Europe. and don't understand her
position in this conference. Why
could she not have co-operated in this
conference instead OF making II a
scene of special pleading? l. have
already said that the French here
seem to be more foreign than any
other people and least In touch with
the general feeling Of the assembly.
They seem to have come here es ma
tfonal advocates and special pleaders
without any OF that passionate desire
to lay the foundations of a world set
Element that certainty animates
nearly every other delegation. They
do not seem to understand how peo-
pie here regard either the conference
or France.
There is, indeed, a great and endur-
ing enthusiasm for France in America.
General Foch has gone about in
America as the greatest Of heroes and |
the most popular Of figures. He has
been overwhelmed by hospitality and
smothered ny every honor America
could heap upon him. The French
nag 10 far more In evidence than the
British In both New York and Wash
fngton. This may easily give French
visitors the idea that they are excep-
tional favorites here and that France
can count upon American backing in
any quarrels she chooses to pick with
the British or the Germans or Rus
slams go.
That Love for France.
: There could be no greater error.
The enthusiasm for Foch Is largely
personal; he was tho general of all the
allies; the enthusiasm for France is
aaf2slyo tyRditjonal, and 1t does not ex,
eendt 70 the French nationalist OF the
present day. America loves. as all
liberal and Intelligent men throughout
the world must love. France, the
great liberator Of mems minds. France
Of the great revolution, the France of
art and light, France the beautiful
and the gallant. 1t 10 hard to write
bitterly Of a country that can give
smiling, or 30 brave and balanced
d'Humiers.
But where is that France today?
None OF that France has come to
the Washington conference, but only
an impenitent apologist for the years
Of sins agaist the peace of the world,
an apologist for national aggression
posturing as fear and reckless greed
disguised as discretion.
Here in New York and Washing
ton I find Just the same steady
change Of opinion about France that
Is going on in London. want to
write 1t down as plainly as I can.
want to get 1t over to my friends
in France, because have loved
France greatly and don't think the
French people realize what Is going
on among the English-speaking peo-
pies. People here want to see Eu-
rope reeuperatins and they are be-
ginning to, realize that the chief OBJ
staole =, to recuperating Europe is
the obstinate French resolve to DOM
mate the continent, to revive and
carry out the ANTICIPATED and impos-