The Washington herald., 1922-02-26

Al the present moment tncIe aro -
most 2,ooo,e0o Englishmeu out OF
work wholly and there Is in addition
vast number who are working on
part time only. Estimates Of the cost
OF unemployment to the public treas
ury of Great Britain range from
s40o. 400, 900 to s55o.O0o,O00 annual
ly. 10 this must be added very large
sums which are expended by the
various municipalities who have TO
contribute to the maintenance OF
thoSe une mployed who are no longer
open TO the benefits Of the national
fund. II is not too much to say that
England is now spending $3.50, 900
annually in unemployment doles to
those who are without occupation.
This staggering sum represents sheer
waste, from an economic stspdpoint-
IT is a tax upon British capital Of
terriic proportions >, -..
To get rid Of this burden. to re-
open the factories and the mines In
what has become Great Britain's de-
yastated. area It is necessary beyond
all else to restore the markets Of the
world and primarily the European
markets. Until Germany, Russia and
the succession States can regain
something Of the purchasing power
ment must continue in the British
Isles, the strain upon the British
treasury will be extended. and sooner
or later millions of Englishmen and
women will be confronted with the
alternative OF emigration or starva-
ton
British Not Afraid.
Now. to the British mind, all. this
hardship and danger might be endet
provided only British ideas were sp-
piled to the European situation. And
as the first step in an application OF
these ideas the British demand the
rehabilitation OF the larger part of
the French army and insist upon the
withdrawal of the French armies
OF occupation from German territory.
Despite all that has been said to the
contrary. the British are not disturb
= ed over the so-caEied French miitzr-
ism. They are not afraid of the
French armies in the sense that
they fear the French armies
will be. used to oyerrun Eu-.
rope or to attack Great Brit
ain herself The British objectioy
TO the French army Is based upon tie
single fact that while France main
tains her army at its present strength
the APPLICATION OF British policy to
Germany. to Russia, and to the Con-
tinent generally.
One of the main purposes in Brit
ish diplomacy when Mr.. Balfour and
his associates came to Washington
was to enlist the United States. to
persuade the United States to lend
its great power t. British ideas and
thus bring about demobiliZatfon OF
the French army. Once this army
was demobiized France would be
obliged 20 accept the British ideas
in the matter of the reconstruction of
Europe. The British hoped at Wash
ington that our influence Joined to
theirs would force the French\ to
agree to a drastic reduction Of their
-. military establishment. Here, as at
at home. the British talked about
French militarism. It was a con-
Yenient and an easy line to take.
But French militarism translated into
terms OF British necessities means
inc French power to prevent the
application of British policies to
and Russia.
Policy Was saeeessfuI.
We know that British policy was
unsuccessful in its attack upon the
French army at washington. II
was similarly unsuccessful in its
effort to compel the French to con-
sent to limitation of submarine
tonnage. BY contrast, il was over
whelmingly successful in alternating
American sympathy from France
and in establishing in American
minds the English view that France
q %
struction in Europe and that in
some fashion or other the Frenc;
policy was dominated BY miIitar-
ism and Napoleonic conceptions.
That Is, although British hopes
were frustrated in Washington a.
far as immediate results were con-
eerned, the British purpose to con-
vince the United States of the cor
rectness Of their view toward Con-
tinental conditions was successful,
: and today the United States sees
France through critical, IL not un-
friendly. eyes. .w--- o..
The British success in Washing
tSa, however. has been measurabJy
balanced by the change in the
Ftench political situation. RriarG.
who accepted in a very large meas
ure. British views about economic
conditions and policies in Europe,
has been driven out of once. Poin-
care has succeeded him. and Poin-
cares policy. so d. far from repre-
-senting further concession to the
British view. has already given
clear indication Of a more con-
siderable and tenacious resistance.
We have come therefore TO
crisis in the European situation
This crisis has resulted from many
things. The events ut Washington
contributed. quarrcls over. the Near
East. over German reparatiops, and
Il score OF other matters have had
theirs part. But at bottom the sit
uatfon has developed out Of the
IotaiIy changed conditions 10 Eu-
rope which the; war has produced.
Great Britain is endeavoring to deal
wi4 France now as IL 1t were the
France Of the days before the war,
whsyess France despite her great
losses IN the war finds herself in a
different position and feels herself
snother country from the France
OF Ts14. -.
= France Was Helpless
IL you go to the bottom of%all
3he present Anglo-French- misun-
6erstanding you will hnd that the
failure OF the refusal of the Brit |
Ish TO recognize the change In |
french condition in Europe ex.
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