The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-04


from the beginning that such an
attack tended morally to isolate
them in q country which did not un-
derstand European conditions and
which shared the British tradition
against standing armies. Neces-
sarily isolated to a degree In a
country which shared with Eng
land. the home of their sccusers. the
same tongue, the French have borne
with increasing resentment an Of
fensive coming from only one sec
ton Of the British public. to be
sure, but which more and more
completely In their eyes assumed
the character OF a British assault.
In e-timating the situation it is
necessary to point out in the inter-
ests of the facts that there was on
the French side an Enthusiastically
active. II limited. campaign TO ex-
plot Anglo-American differences,
real or assumed. There was at
least one French journal OF great
circulation which deliberately I'M
dertook a policy of pin-pricking
with the. hope of separating Britain
and America for the profit of
France.
Now, given the existing situation,
it was obvious from the beginning
that an Anglo-Frsnch quarrel in
Washington was not only likely but
almost inevitable. NJ. BRAND came
here with the hope, IL not with the
expectation, of obtaining some
guarantee. Abandoning this hope
Immediately upon arrival. he fell
back upon the second line. which
was an assurance that the French
view OF their own military neces-
stiles would not be called into ques-
ton. and he and all the other
French Representatives found them
selves at once in the presence Of a
campaign by certain British jour
nalists obviously directed at en-
listing American support for the
reduction OF the French army.
In this situation NJ. BRAND made
his great speech and. as ] have
said. found a generous support both
from Mr.. Balfour and from Mr..
Hughes. but unhappily the situa-
ton had already become acute.
Thus il was that we found our
selves suddenly in the presence Of
an astonishing clash over the sub
marine use.
Scented French Coup.
In Mr.. Hughes initial speech he
had suggested the possession by
the United States of a considerable
number of submarines as an obvi-
Gus and necessary detail in the de-
Tense OF our far extended coast
This proposal ran counter to Brit
ish view, for, with obvious justice,
the British, litter the experience OF
the last war. were apprehensive OF
the submarine and eager to have
il banned as a weapon of naval
war. The difference between the
United States and Great Britain over
this question was purely academic.
1t was not the possession Of sub
marines by the United States to
which the British objected. but the
fact that this development opened
the way for a French maneuver.
ostensibly in support OF the Ameri-
can contention, which precipitated
the row.
The position OF France on the
sea is anomalous. France had been
for many years the second naval
power. The rise OF Germany had
pushed her back to third. The COM
ing of the United States had re-
duced her to the fourth place. Even
Japan had passed her. She had
nevertheless in 1913 built and build
ing-mainly building respectfully
strong navy. But the moment the
war broke France was compelled
to desist from building. her ships
which were on the ways were
abandoned, and all French effort
and resources went to producing
the steel necessary to feed French
cannon and later American guns
Thus, while Great Britain. the
United States and Japan during the
world war enormously expan ded
their respective fleets. the French
abandoned their building program
altogether and, suffering losses in
their feet, found themselves at the
end of the war become ridiculously
weak on the water.
Financial conditions in France
have been such that there has been
no attempt made to complete the
ships which were building when the
war broke out, nor has there been
any effort to undertake an ambiti-
Gus program to restore France
DIS a naval power. On the olner
hand, a submarine fleet can be built
relatively inexpensively. and the
American argument that the sub
marine is 4 weapon of the weak
has found support in France. But
above and beyond all else, France
in the Washington conference. find
ing her army attacked by certain
British journalists and political
elements, and seeing in the sub
marine a difference of opinion be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain, an opening for a counter
offensive, Enthusiastically IL per-
haps unwisely seized upon the op-
portunity.
Nations Allies for Century.
II Il were not for the gravity of
the situation the result of this
French counter offensive would be
ridiculous. In point of fact France
and Great Britain have lived to-
gether without war from the Bat
tie of Waterloo TO the present mo-