The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-02

France, after Sll. it must be ad- mitted, feels perfectly capable of managing her own destiny without American help.
 We would have been much happier over that American cooperation which be expected. But it has failed us.
 For instance, your four-power Pa ciflc treaty was ratified by the Sem ate with five votes to spare. Still, the adoption of the reservation of- fered by Senator Brandege by large majority robs the treaty of all of it's political significance. All action which the agreement prescribes is subject to the decision of the Amer ican 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 Flu rope which excludes any political col laboration. 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
  init 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 ai- lies by fighting alongside of them. Nothing is further from the truth.
 Make Peace Effective
 Once victory was won and the peace was signed. French opinion had but a single thought, namely, to work tremendously with the allied and associated powers to make a peace effective. which by it's vasy nature was a necessarily difficult task. The Versailles treaty, signed by an American President neverthe- less gave us high hopes of success.
 You know what followed. Wilson fell sick soon after his return to America in July. 1919 The real de- bate in the Senate on the treaty pe- gan with the President in bed m December it was learned that MT. Wilson refused to accept any reser- Vations In March the Senate refused ratification. In the following year. after the republicans came into po" CT. failure of America to participate in European affairs was accentuateo. Instead of ratifying the treaty or Versailles. with certain articles omit ted. as Messrs Harding and Hughes were believed originally to have con s.dered possible, the treaty was uls- carded and the Senate voted a sepa- rate peace with Germany. Immeoi- atelv the American delegates quit the reparations commission.
 Collect Indebtedness
 The next step by the united states to avoid participation in European affairs. or even to admit the anght- est contact between the European nations and the United states was when Congress voted to collect the allied indebtedness. fixing the nm. for the payment in time scarceiy one-third as long as the allies nao allowed Germany to complete ner reparations Finally and with the same purpose in mind, the United States claimed payment of its occu- national expenses from the frst oll- lion in gold paid by Germany. ana decided that after July l not a single American soldier would remain on the Rhine. And to consider the SUD feet in another direction. the Uniteo States. after itself convoking the Washington conference, through the Brandege reservation, now sussests that it is not bound by any joint ac- ton resulting from the treaty itseii' The facts thus grouped are luminous although they may have seemed op- scure at the time they happened. French opinion has not comprehended for a long time, and has experienced a painful shock every time the sug- eestion was made, that an American policy of non participation in Euro pean affairs was certain. Only late iy has 1t reached the conclusion that America wanted nothing further to