The New York herald., 1922-01-30

STEED Sees FRANCE
RETRIEVING ERRORS
Great Change in Public
Opinion Noted in Last
Few Weeks.
VIEWS LESS SELFISH
Nation Ready to Take Into
Consideration War
Ills of Others.
HOPEFUL OF Po1NoARE
London Editor Sees COnstruc-
tive Action by New
Premier.

At the request of The New York
Herald of Paris Wickham Steed,
the editor of the London Times,
has given to tine Paris correSpou-
dent of The New York Herald
copy of the following telegram
which he has sent to his journal for
publication Monday morning:
By WIcKHAM sTEED.
Special Gable to THE NEW yoax HERALD.
Copyright. 1899, by THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris. Jan. 20.
From Cannes fortnight ago I
sketched some aspects Of the inner
political history of the last few
months. To-day it may be useful to
deal tentatively with present tend
encies.
During the interval, French opinion
has undergone q change. 1t has grown
quieter and less nervous. The out
burst Of feeling-for 1t was real out
burst and not solely political intrigue
that induced BRAND to withdraw
from power relieved the French emo
tions, while the accession of Poincare
placed in control of French public af-
! fairs statesman who had come to
be regarded as stalwart in the defense
OF national interests.
The considerations which often
make it easier for conservative
a -
pass liberal reforms may enable Poin-
care to be in substance, II not in form,
RS constructive as his predecessor
without incurring the suspicion he has
been weak or "mesmerized." The re-
sponsibility and moro intimate knowi-
edge OF public business that the pos
session Of executive power entails
have already rounded off some Of the
angles Of Poincare's previous attitude.
The views Of Poincare the Prime Min
lister may be found to be less absolute
! than those OF Poincare the publicist
! appeared to be.
Would Retrieve Mistakes.
Moreover, he has been helped by a
more general understanding in France
/ Of the position in which the failure and
positive mistakes Of the French delega-
ton in Washington have placed the
French Republic. Aside from this un-
derstanding there has grown up a de-
sire to retrieve in Washington and
elsewhere what still may be retrlevable
and to make clearer those aspects of
the French attitude which may still be
obscure.
Upon the details OF tie negotiations
Tor an Anglo-French pact by a guar
anty and for friendly adjustment of
continent questions l do not now pro-
pose to dwell. OF some Of them /
have been informed and in regard to
these premature publicity might not be
helpful; OF others know little or moth
ing and speculation would be worse
than useless.
1t Is enough to know for the mo-
inent that the negotiations are proceed
ing not unsatisfactorily and that France
now seems to be less Inclined to Insist
that all outstanding questions must be
sattied pefore any Anglo-French pac,
with guaranty can be concluded.
There Is besides In France a general
disposition to accept as automatic Lord
Grey's statement in Edinburgh that "a
good understanding between the two
most powerful nations in Europe at the
present rnoment-the two most organ.
ICED. Great Britain and Francois cs-
sential to make a start" with a policy
of cooperation for the reconstruction
Ind restoration Of Europe.
Little by little the idea that the recon.
struction and restoration OF Europe are
mt fx.1s
separations question but concurrentI,
with Its gradual solution Is gainina
ground In Franco. This saner tendency
10 iift her eyes from her own devastated
regions and gaze beyond them upon 4
world In sore need of constructive eco.
homic and political effort is becoming
do not say marked. but perceptiblc IN
French public thought. And lest ther.
be any temptation In England or else
where &c rail against France for havint
been so utterly absorbed in contempla
tion OF her own losses, so cataleptic il
the rigidity of her refusal 90 consider
discerningly the ills of others until he,
own wounds had been dressed II no
healed, let. Englishmen always remember
what their state OF mind would hav,
been had Lancashire, Yorkshire and TIL,
Midlands been laid waste and had othe
nations bid them attend to the economic
needs of the world before their owl
crying needs had been adequately met.
II Is true that apart from justifiabls
insistence upon her own pressing re-
quirements and upon the legal claims Of
France there has been and Is in Frencl
minds what may perhaps be called
4 without offense money lenders view
of the obligations of her debtors rather
than a broader minded. more far sighted
merchants view, that holds the nursns
of the debtors back into something like
financial health TO be a condition of tn,
eventual discharge of their engage
ments.
When France Lent Money.
For many years before the war Franc,
was the chief money lender In Europe
A theory as comprehensive as Il wal
specious OF the value of loans as po
iitical levers was sedulousiy inculcatet
upon French minds It reached II
maximum potentially toward 1911 whcr
some French bankers, politicians ans
diplomatists conceived and advocates
the fatuous notion that by lending 40,
100000 pounds sterling TO Austria an'
Hungary, France could detach th'
Iapsburg monarchy from it's depend
ence on Berlin
Thanks to this theory and = tn
practice based upon K, French and Ger
man International fnnnciers who the
, cooperated 20 their own immediate ad
vantage In the exploitation OF F'renei