The Washington herald., 1921-12-04

factory. 1t consented voluntarily
to a transformation which gave it
Industrial supremacy in the world,
but led to an expansion OF popula-
ton and a restriction OF food pro-
duction, making the country de-
pendent upon foreign markets and
foreign food supplies for it's exist
ence.
At the present moment the situa-
ton with respect to Great Britain
is unmistakable. 1t cannot itself
feed over 10000, 900 of the $4,000. 900
Inhabitants. Its accumulated cap
ital of past decades has been great
ly impaired by the war. II il is to
maintain its population il can only
do so by selling its manufactured
articles abroad and applying the
proceeds to purchase food for its
home population. If the markets
can not be restored then a certain
number of millions OF Englishmen
must migrate or the state itself be
bankrupted by trying to maintain
them in idleness.
Must Restore Markets.
All British policy is directed then
at obtaining as soon as possible the
restoration Of the markets of the
world. and IN practice, restoring the
market and the purchasing power
Of Germany and of Central Europe
generally. Failing this the evil
conditions existing in England will
be perpetuated and the conse-
quences unmistakable.
France, on the other hand. feel
ing that she. herself. has no vital
concern in the Central European
markets directs her attention at
once to two things; to obtaining
from Germany the reparations fixed
by the allies, and to providing
gainst possible recurrence of a
German aggression twice repeated
in fifty years. II Germany does not
pay, il she does not resign all
thought of revenge and of new at
tack. the interests of France will
be better served IL Germany does
not recover financially or indus
trially.
Now. there you have in BRIEF the
fundamental causes of Anglo
French differences from the mo-
ment of the Paris conference on
ward. What the American has to
avoid is taking an unduly partisan
view. or being deluded by the out
ward appearances OF dispute
which goes down to the very depths
of things. Above all, the thing that
the American has to avoid is the as
sumption that one country is. right
and the other country is wrong, or
that the United States can afford
to back one country against the
other or become involved itself in
the dispute.
Attack Continued Here.
Bearing in mind these circum-
stances. let US now turn to the
Washington manifestation Of a long
continued quarrel. Again I repeat
that il is inaccurate to say that
French policy or French interest
have been unsympathetically or un-
justly treated by all British jour
nalists. On the contrary, ! am not
aware. of any French journalist who
has manifested for Great Britain
anthing like the generous sympathy
which has been the unfailing atti-
tude of the distinguished editor Of
the London Times. Mr.. wickham
Steed. Yet the fact has been that
considerable group OF the British
journalists, the most conspicuous of
whom is Mr.. II. G. Wells, has, on
American soil. renewed the assault
upon the French army and the
French policy which has been 60
ing on IN Europe for three years
There has been in the minds Of
these men a curious mingling Of ma
tional self-interest and of inter-
national idealism: of noble concep-
tions and or rfdiculously mean mis-
judgments. At bottom these men
have believed that the main objec-
tive of the Washington conference
should be and should've made the
elimination of the French army
and then an immediate restoration
of peace conditions in Europe fifth
all that this would mean forI the
economic recovery of Great Britain.
Moreover. they have. believed that
II was possible to enlist the United
States-the public first and then
the government-in crusade
against the French army as a men,
ace to world peace and world re-
covery.
Thus we have had before the con-
ference and during the conference
a steady stream Of articles repre-
senting the view Of this group of
Enslishmen and picturing France
as chauvinistic. imperialistic, the
real menace to world restoration.
We have constantly had presented
to US the spectacle of a penitent
Germany. a struggling Russia, a
stricken Europe, all prevented from
a return to normaiity by the exist
ence. in France of a Napoleonic
spirit and by the presence in En-
rope of one country seeking to
dominate. the Continent for it's own
selfish ends.
Resent Isolation.
ALI that has happened in WASH
ington has really resulted, I think.
mainly from the effect, upon tho
French of a repetition here in this
country of an attack which they
have borne In Europe for many.
many months. They were conscious
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