The Washington herald., 1921-09-25


the United States condition precedent any reduction
Of her armies. indicate tae character of the OBJ
staces which the conference face When one con-
sders that Japan just firm in her determination not
70 permit any reopening of past decisions IN the Far
East that she means IN effect 10 insist upon retaining the
advantages which she holds, may conclude that
the course at Washington will be little smoother than
that at Paris
After nearly three years is quite plain that the ques
ton of French security the rock which the Paris
conference split the of the immediate and
the later failures restore complete peace. II is fact
testified to BY all visitors in Germany that German hatred
of France mounts with each week and that the of
revenge the frequent subject of discussion every
where And Is of course true that the French in
the best position get the full reflex of this German mood
Now Il Is thesis in Britain as il was among the
Americans in Paris three years ago, that the single way
TO eliminate German anmosy is to avoid giving cause
Thus the British journals and some American following
suit argue that If France would retire from the Rhine
AMI abandon her claims for damages consent see Ger
many establish all her ideas with respect to her
Polish frontiers then consequence, Franco German
friendship would in due arrive and there would be
end of the German to France Moreover, fol-
lowing this policy France could afford to dsarm
and completely abandon conscrpon which is Of course
the basis for all continental armament
But if there is British thesis, to which Americans
give ready hearing there is also French and-he fact
ought to be fully appreciated-there is not the smallest
chance of moving the French from their thesis by argu
At the Paris conference 1t the question of the
security Of France raised in nnumerable directions which
supplied the chief disputes In the end President Wilson
found himself obliged to recognize that just il
impossible raise the question of the freedom of the
because Of British opinion it impossible to get
with his league of nations except he met the
French views in the matter of security.
IRON the French point Of vie the foundation of the
whole Paris structure of peace was the Anglo Amer
icanFench treaty which pledged British and American
support to France in case of new German attack This
before reparatons before everything else the
primary for France and ii this detail which
led the French Parliament to accept the Ceneneeau treaty
despite the fact that in most other particulars was held
to be unsatisfactory from French standpoint Had Glenn
eneeau failed to produce his guarantee along with his
treaty the result would have been an immediate political
upset in the chamber
If Great Britain or the United States both together
desire to persuade the French accept their point Of
view the of Germany, then both countries
have got to agree guarantee France against German
attack No French ministry could possibly live If it
should now consent to any reduction of the military
strength Of France beyond that held by French soldiers
to be the minimum Of safety All discussion this point
Is idle as idle as President Wilson's campaign for his
league two ago, when American public sentiment
had been aroused against it. .8s S-sss,-ss:N
France has reduced her strength from the standard of
1914 She has abandoned her service and short
ened the period by onehai eventually, and by third
Immediately But at the time she is steadily build
ing mp her native army French enemies insist main
iy by negro troops from the Senegal but by
Bcrber and Arab troops from North Africa These
supplied France with of her best shock troops dur
ing the Ludendor himself exciaims in his book at
the unexpected France obtained from this
and the supply is at least equal any demand that will
be made upon it IN the next few decades.
Thus France draw upon Arab -Bcrber popula-
ton Of than IN Morocco Algeria and Tu-
mis- while she has equal population in her West African
colonies In Asia her Indo Chinese colonies supplied
large numbers of Iaborers used behind the lines while
Madagascar sent fighting troops The total colonial popu
aon of France above 100000 against 100000 for