The Washington herald., 1922-02-26

plains much IL not most. From the
moment of the French defeat in
1871 to the hour Of victory marked
~ the armistice OF Rethonass.
France was helpless IN Europe acd
measurably relegated to the posi-
ton Of a minor power She was at
the mercy Of Germany. and her Sc
Guilty and safety depended upon
= Russian alliance and as more OF
less fragile understanding with
Great Britain She was obliged
therefore at all times to restric,
her activities to the narrowest lin
its and to restrain from any real
free DOM Of action. q. Il
Today the situation is quite dif-
terent. France is once more, In
every, way, for the moment at least,
the strongest nation on the Coati-
nent Of Europe. Not only is there
no nation on the Continent. capable
of meeting the French military
power in the field, but France has
associated with herself in a series
Of alliances many OF the succession
states, the most Important OF which
namely Poland, has replaced Rus
sia as a French ally on the Eastern
hank of Germany.
In this situation France finds her
self threatened eventually by. Ger
many provided Germany shall re-
cover her economic prosperity and
her military strength.
But IL Is not less clear that such
German recovery can only be by
and with the consent of France.
And It is not true, as many Amer
leans and some Englishmen ar
que, that the failure Of Ger
many to recover would carry
with It a tremendous hardship to
France. BY comparison with, any
Of the considerable powers OF Eu-
any evil consequences Of a German
tion.
Recovering Rapidly.
Now, in this situation France oc-
cupies a strong position. She Is
recovering rapidly from the conse-
quences of the war so far as eco
nomic aspects are concerned. She
lost million and a third OF men
in battle and nearly half as many
i'm crippies, but by the treaty OF
Versailles she regained -Alsace-
Lorraine with a population of
1,7oo. 900. The recent census showed
that whereas the. German popula-
ton had declined from 7D,oeo,oe0 to
60.e00.o 900 since the outbreak of the
war. the net loss in the French
population, was under 100000. While
the British losses due to unemploy-
ment remain constant, and 1000. 900
Englishmen are out of work as
contrasted with 10000 Frenchmen,
France has steadily and systemati-
caily brought back her fields to
service. Already more than two
thirds OF her devastated area Is
bearing crops.
1t is true. and Americans should
bear the fact in mind, that while
their fields. their factories. their
have hardly more than begun TO re-
peasants of France who are today
cultivating their fields and who
last year harvested crops little IN
ferior to those of 1913. are still liv-
ing in old dug-outs. temporary
shelters. Their present discomfort
is very great. but on the economic
side they are producing.
II lies in the power of France.
then. and this is the fact that am
trying to emphasize. to prevent or
perhaps more accurately to post
pone indefinitely the recovery Of
Germany. Such postponement. will
only in very slight measure .handi-
cap France, as contrasted with
Great Britain or with Italy unless
Il be accepted that France by per-
mitting German recovery will in
sure the, payment to herself OF Ger
man reparations.
Fear for Market.
But here We touch the key OF the
whole situation. The British see In
the reparations tire Underlying cause
Of the prostration Of the European
market and therefore the perpetua-
ton OF their own unemployment.
They demand that reparations shall
be reduced, that the German market
may be opened. that the German cur
rency may b. restored. that Germany
may be brought back to the same
methods of finance which are essential
IL she is again to resume her place
In the world OF international ex-
change. 1t is becoming a matter Of
life and death for Great Britain to
restore the markets Of the world and
Of Europe Week by week and tmopth
by month the perils. and the priva-
tons incident to British unemploy-
ment are coming to weigh moro and
more upon the British mind and as
Is inevitable the Briton Is growing
more and more to resent that policy
which he conceives to be responsible
for his own miseries. .~@-
But by contrast, with equal in
tensity. the masses in France are
to see the British policy and
purpose as an attempt on the part |
Of the British to restore Germany at |
French expense. to reopen the Ger
man markets at the risk of rearm-
Ing the German tunker. The French
man sees the Englishman demanding
that France reduce her bill against
Germany In order that British trade
may flourish and British. prosperity |
return. ,- ~ .
At the bottom Of. the Anglo French !
situation at the present time then one |
must perceive that there are funda- |
mental and essential differences. OF |
interest. I suppose II Is NOT exar-
geration TO say that a majority OF |
Engiishmsn today believe that a very |
material part Of the present misery
In their own country results .frsh |
French policy: and 1t Ia similarly |
true that 4 majority. of ,Frenchmen |
believe that the -Englishmsn4is seek- |
ing to sacrifice France to save him |
self. You have not one but two M |
lions In desperate straits, the Brit. |
crippled, the French |
1Scallys shaken and van sh.t. =, Al
,f them profoundly convinced > that |