The Washington herald., 1922-06-05
US. GOVERNMENT
GIVES MEDAL TO
CITY OF VERDUN
Poincare Accepts Honor
Presented by American
Ambassador.
POINTS TO DANGERS
French Premier Declares
Army Must Be Main i
tanned.
Poincare Accepts Honor
POINTS TO DANGERS

VERDUN. June 4.-"If America
kinks France Is mIlitaristic- let her
emember that the spirit Of revenge
oesn't die with defeat and that
serious dangers are still menacins
France" Premier Poincare declared
at the presentation of a medal 10
the City OF Verdun by the United
states government today. France
must maintain an army TO support
her repsratIons claims" he said.
The medal, presented by Ambas-
sador Myron r. Herrick. IL the only
one ever bestowed on a city by the
American government "It Is a gift
the Ambassador said. in the name
OF the Congress and the people oi
the United States as q mark =,
America's appreciation OF the vaior
OF its defenders."
1T 4, impossible" Poincare said
that divergences OF opinion be.
tween the allies ana associated peo
pies can he automatically sup.
pressed. Nevertheless. a since-s en-
tente is possible and the publ,
temporary misunderstandins.
Obliged TO Maintain Army.
"A legend has been spread In tn,
United States to the effect thai
France is militaristic. Oficial de
mails appear TO be insuficfient {,
dispel this legend. But let thos,
who accuse US reflect on the dan,
gers that menace France.
The reparstions thatstere prom
ised are still unpaid. and. therefor.
We are obliged to maintain an arm,
to support our clsimS SHOULD
peace enrich Germany at France
Expense. il would be to defeat tn.
cause for which the allies fought
i would be the humiliation and
ruin Of France"
Ambassador Herrick. in presentin.
! the medal, said that without full
recognition OF the terrific night tn,
! Germans made at Verdun. no on
could realize how great was tn,
miracle which the French accom-
plished in withstanding the onsIaugh,
But no medal can be struck b,
the United States in commemoratiol
Of German valor at Verdun. becaus
of our deep and abiding conviction
that the German valor and sacrihc,
were poisoned by the purpose to whicl
they were devoted" declared Ambas
sador Herr1ck
DepIores Hystertn-
This comradeship between our tw,
countries. sealed IN the blood Of ou
bravest and best. is no unsubstsntial
| ephemeral relationship. II will no
1 evaporate in the heat OF the mrs
casual disagreement. Resting OF
| fundanental ties which have lastet
more than a century. strengthened b,
this comradeship of war. il is an un
! derlying factor in the lives Of ou
two nations. The ties OF sentimen
aSill rise and they will fall. but tn
underlying affection will remain an,
IL will prevail
But at this time, when-in tn
newspapers at least-hysteria or sen
s6.tionalism magnify every difrerenc
of opinion into a quarrel, when so
called incidents and crises follow eac
other in swift succession. when en-
tentes are threatened. daily and hour
ly. insist upon the Importance o
remembering that friendship does no
necessarily mean agreement
Neither the United States. no
England. nor any other Of the SINGER
and true friends OF France is goin
always to agree with France. or wit
one another. FRIENDSHIP never ha.
and never will. prevent disagreement
and misunderstandinEs. whether he
tween individuals or nations. Blu
friendship, II IL is real. endures 4
! spite of them"