Evening star., 1922-04-02
FRANCE WAKES UP
! TO U. S. ATTITUDE
Finally Realizes That Amer.
lea Will Not Be EntangIed
With Europe.
WILSON FOES, FIRST HITCH
Now, Wilson or No Wilson, Will
Not Change Position, Andre
Tardieu Declares.
BY ANDRE TARDIEU.
Former French High Commissioner to
America.
WILSON FOES, FIRST HITCH
BY ANDRE TARDIEU,
Former French High Commissioner to
America.

Former French High Commissioner to
America.
By Cable to The Star.
PARIS April 1.-France is COM
mencing fully to realize that the
United States wants no European en-
tanglements.
The statement is hard for us to
understand. But we do not blame
You.
We know that it is not an un-
friendly attitude. We realize all that
seems to be behind it. But we must
melancholily accept the state of facts
as they exist. We would have pre-
ferred to work together. Since we cam
not we will work alone.
Still, Americans would be unjust to
complain over our decision, based
upon their own acts. 1t is arrived at
reluctantly. But France, after all.
it must be admitted, feels perfectly
capable of managing her own destiny
without American aid.
We would have been much happier
over that American cooperation
which we expected. But it has failed
us.
Robbed of Significance.
For instance, your four-power Pa
cjfio treaty was ratified by the Senate
with five votes to spare. Still, the
adoption of the reservation offered
by Senator Brandegee by large ma
jority robs the treaty of all Of its
political significance. All action
which the agreement proscribes Is
subject to the decision of the Ameri-
can Congress when an occasion arises.
The French people today over
whelmingly indorse the suggestion
that the United States for many years
will maintain an attitude toward Eu-
iof Ind n tisra
collaboration: Hence we must draw
all necessary conclusions with entire
frankness. This seems natural
enough to us. Yet many Americans
misunderstood our position. Let me
attempt to clear up the matter.
When the French people say, The
United States does not want to COM
nit itself toward us; therefore we
must get along without their help"
many Americans consider that We are
uttering an unfriendly suggestion.
They think the French policy is to
quickly forget those services which
America in 1917 and 1918, fighting for
her own rights, rendered the allies
by fighting alongside of them. Moth
ing is farther from the truth
Once victory was won and the
peace was signed, French opinion had
but a single thought, namely, to work
harmoniously with the allied and as
Sociated powers to make a peace ef-
fective, which, by it's very nature, was
a necessarily difficult task. The Yer
sailleS treaty, signed by an American
President, nevertheless gave US high
hopes of success.
fell sick soon after his return to
America in July, 1919. The real de-
bate in the Senate on the treaty be-
gan with the President in bed. In
December it was learned that MIR.
Wilson refused to accept any reser-
vations. In March the Senate refused
ratification.
In the following year, after the re-
publicanS came into power, failure
Of America to participate in Eu-
ropean affairs was accentuated. In
stead of ratifying the treaty of YER
sailles, with certain articles omitted,
as Messrs. Harding and Hughes were
believed originally to have consider
ed and the Senate voted a separate
peace with Germany. Immediately
the American delegate quit the rep
arations commission.
Other Adverse Steps.
The next step by the United Safes
to avoid participation in European
affairs, or even to admit the slight
nations and the United States, was
when Congress voted to collect the
allied Indebtedness, fixing the limit for
the payment in a time scarcely one
CnlrQ as long as Lle dlllSS ldu dHOWeu
Germany to complete her reparations.
Finally, and with the same purpose in
mind, the United States claimed pay
ment of it's occupational expenses
from the first billion in gold paid by
Germany, and decided that after July
not single American soldier
would remain on the Rhine.
And to consider the subject in an
other direction, the United States,
after itself convoking the Washing
ton conference, through the Brande-
gee reservation now suggests that it
is not bound by any joint action re-
sulting from the treaty itself The
facts thus grouped are luminous, al
though they may have seemed OBJ
scure at the time they happened.
French opinion has not comprehend
ed for a long time, and has eX-
perienced a painful shock every time
the suggestion was made, that an
American policy of nparticipation
in European affairs was certain.
Only lately has it reached the con-
clusion that America wanted moth
ing further to do with Europe. In
1920 the American republican papers,
for the effect on domestic issues,
said: "Wait until Wilson is gone and
you will see what America will do
for France"
Events that have transpired since
then, however. simgly demonstrate
that the United States wants no for
eign entanglements, Wilson or no
Wilson.
Copyright. 3e22.)