Evening star., 1922-01-29
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.


n RANCE will participate in the
H Genoa parley. The 'ifs,'' lands
and butts with which Premier
Poincare hedged tentative decla-
rations of Frances participation a week
sEa will he abandoned. When French
statesmen take their place about the
council board with representatives
of all the larger European nations,
including Germany and Russia,
France will have foreseen restrictions
which Poincare stated would govern
French deliberations. This is the in
formation that has reached Washing
ton through official sources.
Ambassador Harvey's stay in Paris,
though he not yet having entered for
NAL conferences. is believed to have
been Instrumental in focusing atten-
tion of che French people on the fact
that FrIace stands in the way OF pos
sible successful action at Genoa, ano'
as result of the situation, French
statesmen may have about decided to
move with the tides that are working
for European reconstruction. What-
ever Harveys influence. 1t Is an un-
questioned fact that the past week
has witnessed a tentative change OF
heart on the part of officials sitting
in Ouai dOrsay. for they have been
made more and more to feel the gulr
that is separating France from Eu-
ropean allies and endanGering the
possibility of France ever realizing
her dreams of political and financial
safety in Europe, Separation from her
old ally across the seas, namely, the
United States, alSo is, having its weight
X = =
Poincare may nave proclaimed to
the chamber that France intended to
pursue an Independent course in all
international deliberations likely to
take contrary courses. But. as mas
been the case with many other pre-
miers of France, declaration OF pohcy
does not always mean fulnlment.
Many French premier in recent
years has gained aScendancy by the
PRONUNCIATION of !ar-reachlng poNcles
attuned to French thought of the mo-
ment-at least to political expediency.
Poincare was no exception. but it ap-
pears that already he has been forced
to bend to the Interchangeable tides OF
internal and external policy. France
difficult to accomplish far-reaching
goals aspired to by the nation unless
the French foreign policy is more in
tune with that of other countries.
1t is not surprising that France
should fall in line for open minded
participation in the Genoa parley, not
only has she seen the possibility of
losing the much-desired offensive de
fensive alliance with Great Britain.
but she has seen solidification OF the
tendency to form a great continental
bloc composed of England. Russia,
Germany, Italy and Belgium. The
fact that Belgium should go so far as
to inform the French foreign office of
it's desire to revise the offensive and
defensive alliance with France. in
order that Belgium may work more
in unison with Great Britain in an Of
fensive pact guaranteeing Belgian
integrity. has been startling. I'm
doubtedly it has proven to the French
the error of their ways more than
any other single event. for the Fran
co-Belgian agreement always has
been considered one of the most i'm
ing an iron ring about Germany and
predicating foreign policy upon the
fact that such ring was necessary
to insure the future safety of Eu-
rope. Belgium naturally, it was ex-
pected, would be the last nation to
If France is to lose Belgium. who un-
doubtedly would freely enter the new
European bloc Of nations. then in
deed the whole French scheme Of
dominating Europe politically and
pilitarily is in sad way. 1t undoubt-
in her sails. Instead of pursuing
the idea that the whole world must
be wrong except France. the French
foreign officials, it is believed, now
show signs of suspecting that per-
haps there may be few things
wrong with the foreign policy Of
France. This fully realized, the
French will not be long in adjusting
their whole scheme of international
cooperation in conformance to
Frances best interests.
* X X X
There is another indication that
France under Poincare may not pur-
sue the militaristic policy which was
launched with a change OF premfers.
The Paris press. the barometer Of the