The Washington times., 1921-07-23


The semi-of-
W ticial French
m on thly bull
letln says that
II 10 almost
inevitable that
the Rhineland
I'll c o m mi ssio n
should pads on
from the ad-
ministration of
~ the customs to
.HSSsssy 5~ the admins
Wyfk itration of the
80 finances. In
other words, the customs trick IL re-
vaaled as the wedge for French op-
GRAFTON OF that part of Germany.
The comments Of the government.
inspired French press on the trials
of the German war criminals is an
other illustration of the same inten-
ton. II the Germans convict and
punish one Of their own people tho
French. instead Of rejoicing that no
French or British or Italian war
criminals have to be tried, merely
scold about the extent of tho penalty
and suggest that such light sentences
also give an excuse for further az.
gressions against Germany.
Would Weaken Germany.
SO with the attitude toward repara-
lions. The purpose In less to get
something for France than to find
excuses for weakening Germany.
Germany. right and left. ID threatened
with penalties to which tho treaty Of
peace gave no right whatever.
Poincare, Daudet, and the Imperial.
lists and Reactionaries generally do
not take the trouble to conceal their
intention to find every excuse for ag-
sression. A Paris paper thus de-
scribes the intention Of these men:
They want to cross the Rhine
like Louis XIV and Napoleon for
profits and glory"
The statement. however. ia an un-
sympathetic and scarcely fair way of
putting II. Profit and glory are not
the right words. Their aggression
against Germany. whether in the
Ruhr or In Silesia. II caused by fear
and by little else than fear. They
are convinced that the safety of
France is to be sought only in the
weakening of Germany.
Adopt Wrong Policy.
OF course It is imbecile. but II IL
in fact the way they think. At pres
ent 1t seems impossible to do any
thing with this fear-complex. Any
outsider can see that France has
much more to hope from a Germany
, treated with ordinary honesty. II
not with liberality. than from a
wronged and resentful Germany, but
France cannot sec IT,
France cannot understand that in
proving false to her treaty engage
ments, In making herself more and
more imperialistic, in making herself
hated in Germany and In Russia.
| in breaking up her entente with
| Great Britain, in losing the sympathy
Of the United States, she Ii invit-
| ing suicide.
In Silesia her policy has amounted
to a determination to have her
own way whatever Il thought in
Great Britain or any other country.
Incredible as It seems, she acts on
the theory that. having won war
against Germany with the help Of
Russia, Italy. the United States and
Great Britain. she is strong enough
10 exercise a military control On the
continent of Europe.
The British Attitude.
The British government is firmly
OF the opinion that the boundaries
of Silesia, Poland and Germany
and along the lines agreed upon. 1t
is also OF the opinion that an end
should be put to the so-called
Sanctions on the Rhine
France is determined in both re-
gions to seek delay in settlement and
to seek at every point not the car
rytng out Of agreements but the In
Jury OF Germany.
Korfanty, the Polish free lance
who has been the tool of franco.
Polish policy In Silesia, on being
asked what he thought of the OBJ
iections OF the other powers, shrug-
ged his shoulders and said:
"Je men fiche du monde entier."
Which being interpreted means:
"I tell the whole world to go
chase itself"
More specifically he was asked
what ne thought OF Lloyd George. |
"Je men fiche de Lloyd George" he
observed. offer a slightly differ
ent translation Of the same words:
LLOYD George can go to hades."
In Upper Silesia, the point of con-
test Is, of course. the mines. A
line of division has been drawn by !
the British commissioner and line !
more generous to the Poles has been /
drawn by the italians. The objec-
ton that has been shown by France |
TO an Immediate meeting Of the !
supreme council means that she ,
wishes to postpone a settlement of
the Silesian situation, unless she |
can procure settlement based
purelv on tho desire to weaken Ger
many.