The Washington herald., 1921-05-29

that seems good to them. as to ring
it round with French troops for the
prevention of armaments which
later would be used against
France. Great as their loathing is
for standing armies and all mill
tary burdens which still lie heavily
upon them after the war. they are
willing to support them in order to
covering Germany.
Anything TO keep Germany so
weak that she can't strike again is
the underlying purpose of every
Frenchman. Nothing that will give
Germany a chance to regain her
strength and dependence will ever
receive the consent of the French.
That spirit Is not the same as mill
tarism. 1t is its exact opposite in
motive. yet by a strange paradox 1t
works out the same way.
Thirst for Power.
1t is also made use of by a small
clique of army chiefs and reaction
AIRY politicians who are the power
behind the throne of the French
goverrmppt md "r ..~'~ - -"
have the purpose of 80 strengthen
Ing .'.s.IlIe A.!
financed and controlled from Paris,
that they will be able TO dictate in
Europe and ignore especially all
British interference.
1t is that clique which Premier
Lloyd George has challenged. 1t is
that clisue which seems to express
the spirit of France to the world.
l,tt Of the Erannh NannlR
the peasants. the bourgeoisie, are
impelled by no ambitious prestige
of power. but only by desperate
desire to safeguard the future
against that old enemy of whose
vengeance they are afraid.
l am not making up. a fairy tale
about these things. Any French
farmer in any inn in France will
strike the table with his fist and
then cry out to God II one suggests
France has turned militarist.
Il want to save my son for the
plow and not for the trenches" he
says. That can only be done by
sitting on the neck of Germany and
keeping her nose in the mud. Like
a brute beast she will turn and rend
US again IL once we let 60"
Resent British Attitude.
To the average Frenchman and
woman this accusation made by
English newspapers and politicians.
that France is militarist. seems so
fantastic that they believe it TO be
a deliberate falsehood and a gra-
tuitous unfriendly insult.
They are hurt and angry because
we do not understand their point
of view. shocked because We seem
to favor Germany at their expense,
and furious because we allow our
prime minister to insult them and
thwart the demands of their lead
ers.
know their people well I
speak their tongue. I have been
among them fve years. 1 sympa-
thize with them profoundly and
think their motive perfectly sound
and right as far as 1t goes.
Unfortunately it doesn't go far
enough and that is the main differ
ence between the French and Brit
ish policies as far as the two peo-
Piles are concerned. althourh there
are other causes for a difference
more sinister between the politi-
clans.
where France Is Wrong.
II there were no hope for a bet
ter settlement in Europe than now
exists-the regathering of tribes
waiting until they recover from
their exhaustion Of war before they
have another bout; the grabbing of
bits of territory when the other
fellow Is too week to defend It; the
sitting on each others heads so
long as they have the strength: the
sharpening of new weapons Of de-
struction for a war that Is to be-
then the French are right in their
foreign policy. II Is quite likely
that they will be able to sit on Ger
many's head for generations.
II is more than likely that by
giving Upper Silesia to The Poles
and occupying Westphalia them
selves they could extort some i'm
mediate wealth. To be fair to the
French there Is much to be said
from that point of view IL one looks
ahead not further than, say, Is or
20 years.
But the world perhaps In going
on a little longer than that. There
will be some French boys alive IN
1s4l. There will also be many Ger
man boys and great numbers of
England Looks Ahead.
The English people look ahead
further than the French and they
believe. rightly or wrongly-God
knows-that the present French
policy. IL unchecked. would end in
sure destruction for France later
on. II In not treachsrx 10 Franc.