Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-09
rs Others See Us
. RELY acknowledging that France owes
IA Americans a great deal, Robert de

- RELY acknowledging that france owes
- Americans great deal, Robert de
Jouyenel, the trenchant political editor
of the Paris OEUVRE, itemizes the account
thus: 1--WE owe them much gratitude and
about fifty billion francs. And we also owe
them the truth"
Those there are on this side of the water
who have not rocked of that last particular
and who will not relish it's being brought to
their attention. But truth is wholesome, how
bitter soever it may be to ones sense OF self
esteem. We may listen with profit to what
discerning outsider, as frank as he is friend
ly, has to say touching our part in certain re-
cent chapters of international history
American criticism of France, which has
not been wanting of late and which the clear
thinkers of that beloved country admit is not
altogether unmerited, has taken three princl-
pal directions. First, it has been said, France
is imperialistic and, that although burdened
with huge war debt, she continues to main
tain the largest standing army OF the time
despite mankind's need and wish to shake Off
the curse of militarism. 1t is said, moreover,
that she looks too much to German indemn1-
ties and relies too little upon native resource
fulness for the settlement of her economic
troubles, thus prolonging state of interna-
tional tension Finally, the critics say,
France spends her time counting up what
Germany owes her, instead of ascertaining
to what extent and by what means Germany
can pay
That there is some basis Of fact for these
structures, M. de Jouvenel is prompt to admit;
indeed, it is along these very lines that he
and other French Liberals have campaigned.
He hastens, however, to add, "If there are
Imperialists in France, all the French people
are by no means Imperialists." Then this
thrust: Il beg their pardon for saying SO, but
Americans are really much the same as they
accuse us of being. I don't mean by that, of
course, that they are militarist; but perhaps
they still remember that their representative
President Wilson, once signed q pact by which
the United States promised to stand by us in
case OF German aggression. II that pact had
been ratified, our Imperialists would have
found it very difficult to justify their main
tenance Of ornaments" Assuredly, it is
with all grace that we remind France Of the
militarist mote in her eye, while this beam
of inconsistency flecks our own.
Conceding that it is childish for French
men to try every financial knot with the mag
is formula Germany shall pay" the
OEUVRE editor at the same time asks, "But
is there not party in America which has
taken for its political springboard the words:
Europe shall pay? If we say to our ex-
tremists: Take care, trying to transfer bill
lions from Germany to France gives rise to
very serious economic dangers, it is easy for
them to answer: rs not America demanding
in the same way ten billions of dollars from
her associates of yesterday; why should we
hesitate to demand from our enemies what
friends?'"
AS for the Oft heard advice that the French
would do we'll to think less exclusively of the
reconstruction of their own devastated re-
gions and give some thought to the need for
general rehabilitation, M. Jouvenel after
granting this truth, inquires:, "But do the
Americans imagine they are such good world
citizens when they appear only as silent wit
nesses in European affairs? To give but one
example, would recall that the international
conference at Brussels had prepared plan
for Austrian reconstruction. This plan pro-
posed that all nations who were creditors of
Austria should consent to defer their claims
for thirty years. All signed this clause with
the exception of one-America. Do the
wider-visioned statesmen of France plead for
generous co-working among nations? The I'M
perialists are ready with, mo. Each for him
self. Look at the United States; it is she who
repudiated the League of Nations!"
If the wounds of friend are faithful, these
observations of the eminent French journalist
should be welcomed by thinking Americans,
and should serve as reminder that another
great issue in the sphere of international CO.
operation now hangs doubtful in the Senate.
Those there are who would wreck the Four
Power treaty of peace in the Pacific and re-
pudiate the other statesmanly plans of the
Washington Conference on Disarmament just
as they did the constructive work of the coun-
sells of Versailles. They no more truly rep
resent America than the arrant Imperialists
represent France. But if their backward
looking will should now prevail, the reaction
airy forces of the whole world would be
strengthened and emboldened, and whenever
challenged by liberal sentiment would cyni-
cally answer, Look at the United States!"