The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-03
BRAND PLEASED WITH RECEPTION
 AT ARMS FARLEY
Premier ReiterateS the NeGes- Sity of France Continuing to Keep a Large
 Army
By Associated Press

Havre, December 2.-Landing 7 here today on his return from Washington conference, Premier Briand, replying to speech of wei come, declared that he had had an easy task at Washington owing to the excellent arguments he had been able to put forward. It was neces- sary, he added, to present these ar guments to the world.
 France could not have been ab- sent from a gathering such as that called by President Harding for the purpose of relieving the military bur dens which weigh so heavily on the people and which, after such a cruel war, called for relief.
 President Harding's invitation was generous. France has never de- nied to such appeals and she am swered present at Washington, as she had answered at The Hague, where only the i'll will of a country that fostered evil purposes prevented unanimous acceptance of the pro- posals submitted in behalf of the maintenance of peace. We are satis- fled we have done everything in the past that was possible to avoid war. We are above all suspicion in this respect"
 M. Briand referred to his speeches in the United States, in which he showed that when liberty was in dan ger, France at all times in her his tory had fought for it. giving her own blood in the cause and never failing in her task. In the last war which cost so much bloodshed throughout the world, France had been provoked and attacked, and it was only sufficient for him to recall this fact to America to have the jus tee of Frances cause recognized.
 Did Not Doubt America
 q did not doubt" the premier con tinued. "the noble and generous American people. l knew well that every attempt to disgrace France, to turn America away from us, to paint France as a perpetual 'kill-joy' and the cause of the uneasiness the world feels4-I knew we'll that this all would be dissipated by a plain statement of facts But yet, l must say that at the solemn meeting. where all our allies, my friends the members of the American Congress and representa- tiVes of all the world were present, it was not without emotion that 1 spoke, for 1t was the tribune from which words reached the ears of all peoples.
 My emotions grew and added to my deep satisfaction, when, having only stated the situation of my country and pointed out the -neces- sIty to protect our security, which k security for the world, 1 heard tremendous cheering; when l heard 1 ie noble representative of our ally. :" ] .ngland, saying that France was in an exceptional position, that she was light to protect herself, and that lrance never would be in moral iso- lation."
 M. Briand said the representatives Of the other countries also had given him the assurances and that iafter this Secretary of State Hughes, the Chairman of the conference, himself oeclared that France could not be iso- lated because she was the defender o1 right, liberty and justice.
 Did Not Reject Proposals
 The premier. told his auditors that he had not rejected any proposals ilside at the conference for an equit- s.ole limitation of naval armament. Concerning land armaments, he added, the situation was different. He declared that he did not suspect the intentions of the leaders in Ger lAany and did not desire to believe they were leading their people toward the temple of war.'' He described the forces Germany still had at her command and her big factories, which fe said could make machine guns, ri- fies and cannon. These facts, he de- clarcd, denoted situation which made vital the question of Frances land armaments.
 .a s-I had been sympathetically received in Washington, and that when he left there some of the prejudices, some of the errors which malignant propa- ganda had impressed on certain minds, had cleared away"
 The premier declared he was firmly convinced the Washington conference would lead to good results, that noth- ing could result from it which would be intended to initiate against Frances liberty asS security. He said the French peonie, first of all, must have confidence in themselves and that whatever their opinion they should never forget that whenever the battle is over, however fierce 1t mly have been. there is between us common field sufficiently vast to claim the attention of all French citzens.'
 France" he added, was passing through trying moment, and even peoples who were fortunate enough to escape the war were affected by It's consequences, owing to what might be called interdependency of eco .mic and financial Interests"
 "We are going through difficulties which arose from calumnies and other causes, but we are among friends and allies.' he declared.