Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-01-13
FRIDAY. JANUARY 10, 1922.
THE RESIGNATION OF PREMIER
BRAND


BRAND, as Premier of France, viii
be received in this country with
the deepest regret and some
alarm, for not only will it have
far-reaching effect upon French
internal and foreign policies but
it delays the hope OF an early adj
iustment of the European eco
nomic situation and the return to
normal conditions. The fact that
these conditions make themselves
felt throughout the world makes
whatever affects them of vital in
terest to us.
Just what change his with
drawal from the Premiership, and
the elevation to power of the mill
tarists in the French Chamber OF
Deputies, will cause in the foreign
policies of France is uncertain.
We do know, however, that for
mer President Poincare who has
been asked to accept the post OF
Premier, is a bitter-ender III all
things which pertain to Germany
and believes that nation should be
held to a strict enforcement of
the terms of the Treaty of Yer
sailles. He contends that the
Treaty does not go far enough
towards strengthening France
against possible German aggres-
sion and desired to annex the west
bank of the Rhine at the time it
was drawn up. He also advo-
Gates the occupation of the coal
fields of the Ruhr valley in the
event of Germany's failing to pay
the required reparation Install
inents. If these radical tendencies
become the basis OF French policy,
as opposed to the more liberal
policies of BRAND, another serious
world crisis is not hard to
imagine.
What effect will this change in
leadership have on the Limitation
of Armament Conference, is an
other pertinent inquiry. The
present four-power Pacific treaty,
and the entire matter of land and
naval armament were drawn up,
with the position of France based
upon her policies and aspirations
as interpreted by BRAND. Now
with the change to more aggres-
sive and militaristic Premier and
a very probable change in policies,
will these agreements still be sat
isfactory to France or will re-
versal be demanded?
1t is a hard matter for the cas-
ual observer to correctly under
stand the French psychology.
Premier BRAND, speaking shortly
after the converting of the Arms
Conference placed France on rec
ord as requiring a large standing
army because she was afraid of
future German aggression. Later
France demanded Navy equal
to Japan's and unlimited submar-
Inc tonnage, apparently for the
same reason. Concurrent with
this the relations between France
and England were very much
strained over the question of Ger
man Preparations and the former
may have entertained some fears
OF aggressive action from this
quarter. Anyone would have
though that what France desired
most was an agreement with Eng
land, in which that country
pledged to come to her aid in
event of future war with Ger
many. Yet when Premier BRAND
secured such an agreement, he
was condemned in all the French
papers, and the Chamber of Dep
uties practically, by their attitude
forced his resignation.
1t will be some time before the
new ministry finds itself. and the
world will have to wait to see
whether they will reverse the pol
icies of BRAND before the nego-l
tiation now in progress can be I
definitely settled or new ones un-
dertaken, The course of events
81 rs