The Washington herald., 1921-08-09
Franeo-Bntish Entente.

III
>onds, writing from Washington should have
covered the subject in their letters appearing
Sunday in The Washington Herald. These two
are the premier correspondents all international
=affsirs, situations and conditions They both dis
=ssssed the British-French entente and reached a
like conclusion that it is becoming anything rather
than "cordiale."
sssfaken together, their letters covered the sub
sSt with remarkable completeness and there are no
'othef two men, outside the inner diplomatic cir
clss, who have equal sources of exact information
This is shown in their agreement, while added in
tercst through their personality and personal
attitude. When Sir Philip Gibbs agrees with Lloyd
George on any policy afd eommends him on any
ssse, it is entirely safe to conclude that British
fopiRon, regardless of party indorses the premier
upon that subject. Gibbs is not a follower nor
admirer OF George, though he is by habit of mind
and~nature fair and impartial. He is, also very
sympathetic as to France, having been correspond
eut at the front during all the No other saw
more of the war, was closer to the guns and more
trusted at headquarters.
Simonds is the detached student. He is
more conservative, less the deais and also less of
"incorrigble optimist." His sympathies are with
France. Weighed the scales of his judgment
France is most apt to have the better of the sit
uaton with Great Britain. But no other CORE
SpondentS have keener insight, as unprejudiced a
judgment and reach dependable conclusions. Both
are wholly unattached to any influence and neither
tries case for anyone.
Reading their letters in this light. it is impos-
sble to dodge the plain fact that the dominating in
hucnce IN France is just plain fear, amounting al
most to terror She remembers 1870, and however
long three years since the great war may seem to
Americans or even to British it is but yesterday
to ruined France. With one in forty of her entire
Cd with H. - 6..
ritory still ruins, with every home missing the sup
port and companionship OF its most stalwart how
can France forget? She knows too, that thirty or
torty or nifty years is not long time goes 1t was
forty-four years from 1870 to 1914.
All of her foreign policies are built on fear
For this same reason, Belgium is her one unvary-
ing supporter 1t is not mitarsm as such. nor i'm
perisiism which shapes her policies 1t is not mere
reparations which keeps her troops across the
Rhine. Certainly it is not rcparations which fixes
her position to Silesa. II is dread of the German
power OF hate. She is reaching out for allies It
rs TO secure allies bound her in every possible
way, that she comes near the break with Great
Britain. Bitterly disappointed as to Britain and
America, believing she depend on neither in
another emergency, unwilling to surrender her
Judgment as to her own safety, she reaches for
Poland and the Balkan entente whose potential
enemies are hers and whose fears are her fears
and even to Turkey against Greece with the
Kaiser's brother-in-aw as King.
1t would seem beyond peradventure that if the
United States could have ratified the triparty de-
tense treaty with France and Great Britain the sit
uation in Europe would have different face. Even
i this government had entered the league of ma
tions, the present psychology of France would have
different color. There can be little question that
had the course of this government been known,
the Versailles treaty would have been a very diff
ferent document in the provisions to France and
Poland. The story of Clemencesu, who was said
to repeat each morning his daily prayer: "Oh,
God, l. Georges Clemencesu, do believe in
league Of nations" tells the French attitude
France wanted alliance, not a league France
wanted possession to the Rhine and its control: not
the trparty alliance. France wanted strong yriIe
Poland, strong Balkan federation; she wanted an
iron ring around Germany. She got none OF these
things and nothing is offered her as a substitute
Today feeling alone, almost deserted, she is con-
troffed by fear. Other governments offer nothing
TO dissipate this fear. Instead they say: Thou
shalt not" She may be foolish or unwisc, but she
is human.
lA.-I