Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-19
JUSSERAND FAILED
To Do HIS DUTY.
DECLARE FRENCH
BY WILLIAM BIRD

PARIS, April ia campaign
against Jules J. Jusserand, ambas-
sador at Washington, has been
opened by the French newspapers.
The signal was given by the semi
OFFICIAL Temps Wednesday: The i'm
mediate preteXt was a charge that
M. Jusserand had failed to cable
from Washington the full text of
President Harding's address to con-
gress on Tuesday. The ambassador
was severely criticised for this neg
ligence, which placed French public
opinion at disadvantage even with
Germany where the text was avail
able more promptly than here. AS a
matter of fact it was not until Lon
don papers arrived that the first inn
pOrtant teXtual extracts from the
address reached Paris.
Many other newspapers now have
followed the cue of the Temps in at
lacking NJ. Jusserand. The Gaulois
goes so far as to ask when are we
going to have the right man in the
right place at Washington? This
toward America has been misguided
ever since the armistice on account
of the alleged failure of the ambas-
sador to keep the foreign office cor
rect1y informed as to the drift of
American opinion on the League of
Nations and other peace matters.
This press campaign against M.
Jusserand, which obviously is not
diSpleasing in certain official quar-
tiers of Paris, reflects the profound
people in general which President
Harding's message has caused.
There is an apparent effort to make
the ambassador the Scapegoat for
French diplomacy-s failure to bring
the United States within an alliance:
II Ne ri ~
securing the ratification OF the treaty
of Versailles by the United States,
with an amended covenant of the
League of Nations, emitting particu-
larry the Objectionable guaranty
clause Of Article X. When this
seemed impossible he directed his
efforts toward preventing the passage
of the Knox resolution providing for
what is popularity supposed to be a
separate peace between the united
States and Germany. When the
resolution seemed certain to pass, M.
Viviani's hopes were conferred in an
tentatively accepted by
solidarity with the defenders Of civil
lization in case of any new agrees
sion.
One by one all Of these hopes. held
out to the French people, failed.
President Harding's address dissipat-
ed the last one. French optimists
gather what grains of comfort they
can from the suggestions, rather
vaguely understood here, for the
ratification at some future date OF an
amended and leagueless treaty. The
main comfort gained by Frenchmen,
however, is in the fact that the Ger
mans also feel disappointed.
The passage in President Har-
ding's address which caused the most
painful surprise here was his de-
nunciation of the existing league as
an enforcing agent for the vtctorS IN
the war and their special aims:
This has made Frenchmen wonder II
President Harding shares Mr.. Will
sons views on French militarism.
Taking French and German opinion
together, the message is regarded as
leaving Europe exactly where it was
before, whereas what seems to nave
been generally expected was some
master stroke Of verbal magic which
would cause international problems
to melt away and inspire battled
Europeans with new courage. This
has not happened. Midnight is strlk-
ing and the fairy godmother, Amer
lea. has not appeared to turn the
pumpkin into a gilded coach.
The result is detection.
Marshal Foch, meantime, is in con-
ference with the cabinet. LEcla1r,
the organ of Premier BRAND, pub
fishes a leading article about the fall
lacy of "idealism" and false, senti-
French" foreign policy. CONFIDENTIAL
ly it may be noted that preparations
are under way for. the celebration OF
the Napoleon centenary.