Evening star., 1921-11-27
by OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

~
n white-hot brand across the
~ body of France. It Is but
natural that even today phys
ical and mental reactions should
continue. They were graphically in
dicated in the eloquent and forceful
appeal of Premier BRAND in the con-
ference on limitation of armament.
Not q statesman guiding the foreign
destinies of France at the DUAL
d'orsay but that strives eagerly to
decipher the future that France may
be protected. Not a member Of the
Legislative branch of the govern
ment that has not been impressed by
hideous possibilities in case of
Frances lack of preparation for
eventualities in a troubled Europe.
Not a peasant but that shudders and
looks in fright toward the east. Men,
ory has scared deep Germanic perfdy.
The world sympathizes. but asks:
rs France justified in demanding
maintenance Of the largest army In
the world today and In demanding a
great increase in her naval forces
in the very halls where statesmen
Of the larger powers have been called
together to. work reduction of things
provocative of war;?
HAS not tPremier BRAND hindered
rather than helped the ends desired
reduction of fighting forces of the
world. that the f1oodgates of military
expense may be closed and funds d.
verted to restoration of national as
well as international wellbeing, fnan-
cially,s economically and CONNER
These questions today are being
answered in old-world capitals as
national and political expediency pred
icated upon international agree
ments dictate. but, generally speak
the French claims Of German menace
and most certainly to decry the dan
ger of Europe's bolshevization. one
Of the things which the French pre-
mier declared France stood as bull
wark against.
Graphically, summarized. refiexes,
as the result of Premier Brands
speech. may be stated as follows; ,
France. unless there be radical
change of policy in the immediate
future. endangers. not aids the peace
Frances foreign policy of the mo-
ment. not the German menace. is re
sponsible for decisions to maintain
large armies.
large army in the face of desires to
disarn will further estrange Great
Britain and her former ally.
There will be set up a barrier be-
tween closer relationships between
Italy and France by virtue OF France 3
insistence on larger naval armament
frances stand may force Britain to
withdraw from her agreement to
armament curtailment.
r **
Probably the most vital Of all the
possibilities which have arisen in re-
cent weeks and accentuated by the
BRAND speech urging full protection
of France by her allies, Is the pos
sibility of further estrangement be-
tween Downing street and Quai DOR
say Friendship exists, but 1t Is in
creasingly apparent that the acts OF
more closely scrutinized by the other.
In the BRAND speech the British see
definite contradiction to the aims OF
the Washington conference. to which.
cerned, the British have readily sub
scribed. They see In the BRAND policy
the same one voiced by Clemenceau In
the Paris peace conference and out OF
1t They recognize the old military
manikin that was hoisted on every
occasion in the council of ten to
dumbfound Lloyd George, Mr.. Wilson
and other Of the world statesmen who
then were seeking some adtustment
which did not consider the French
fear of future German aggression.
There Is little difference in the state.
ment of BRAND and the policy Of
Clemenceau which drew from Lloyd
George many frey remarks. In fact,
the armament question hindered the
Paris conferees as 1t may, unless un-
torsseen asyelopmentwy en- wasbiapspn fansplle'
4 II y \
The British insist that where once
the soviet danger of overrunning Eu-
rope with the aid OF Germany exist
Cd this has been nulled by the i'm
potence Of the Russians through eco
nomic, financial and moral chaos:
coupled with the disinclinatton OF
German people to have anything to
do with that which savors OF MOSCOW
di citation in world affairs. And. in