New Ulm review., 1922-08-02
Plain Words To FrQnce.

Plain Words To France.
In a foreword to the accompanying
article which we find in the English
p.blication, John Bull, tits emphasized
that the flower of European youth has
not been spent to destroy one mad
dog "in order to let another mad dog
loose We (Britons) fought in the
war to destroy militarism in Europe
and we shall not consent either to a
new military Or economic domination
being established over Europe, no
matter from what quarter it proceeds" "
This article is striking presentation OF
the English attitude toward the Mill
tary power of France.
1t was with an eye to such criticism
as this that M. Poincare, in accepting
on behalf of France the Congressi ional
Medal of Honor bestowed on Verdun
declared the other day: If peace were
allowed to enrich Germany at the ex-
pense of France it would spell defeat
for the cause we have upheld together.
No longer would our victory be the
winged statue, nutilated but MAJ jestic.
Nothing would remain but broken
marble crunbled into dust. For
France it would mean humiliation and
ruin. France, l an thankful to say,
has too much life in her to accept either
the one or the other and she reposes too
complete a trust in her former COM
rades at arms to have any fear Of being
disapproved or disavowed by Them =
TIE Premier vigorously appealed to
what he terms the '*sturdy common
sense" of the American people to re-
ject the slogan of those who revile
France in terms of militarism: and in
perialism.
If Genoa did nothing else, it wakened
the British people to the terrific reali-
ties they have hitherto refused to face.
1t is no longer good form to bury our
heads in the sand, to pretend that we
do not know what France means and
to cry, "Hush, hush!' whenever a
doubt is uttered as to her good inten-
tions and her peaceful purposes. The
tongues of men are loosed, the dun b
Press is beginning to find it's voice,
Mr.. Lloyd George himself appears in
his familiar role of the heroic fireman
turning the hose on his own confagra-
ton. b ..."a
say his own confagration, because
it was he who, when the war ended,
handed the destinies of Europe to the
keeping of France 1t was the shame
full election of Decem ber, 1918 with its
appeal to rapacity, revenge md hate
!; that destroyed the peace that President
Wilson was bringing over the seas to
Europe, and that committed us to tn
support of the policy of France. Fro :,
the consequences of that enormo
wrong we have been trying to esca
ever since.
It is just to re1rem ber this before W
throw stones at France. We British
encouraged her most extravagant
dreams, and we cannot com plain if she
took our election promises at their face
value, held us grizzly to them and set
out to esta blish military and econom-
ic dictatorship over Europe more
formidable than that Of Napoleon.
Bismarck was modest man by CON-
parison with M. Poincare. He aimed
only at consolidating Germany and
making it dominant in European af-
fairs. M. Poincare has a much more
heroic program. 1t is to place France
in military and economic possession OF
Europe.
And this he has already largely dore
4 say he, because, whether III office
or out Of Office, Mr.. Poincare has been
the driving power Of French policy fcr
ten$ years. He has done it, while
British opinion has been chloroformed
by it's Press and British interests have
beeh sacrificed to fatal policy Of
Rush" Can we wonder at the as
founding ambitions which govern his
policy when the n ost powerful journals
published in London, including tho. {
owned by Lord Northcliffe, are cor
Quoted like frantic boulevard organs
whose only function is to back every
Extravaganza Of French policy.
| If the policy were advantageous fol-
this country and for Europe we should
have no ground Of com plant but it is
ruinous alike to Europe and to Eng
4 land. In the eId it will be ruinous
to France too, for France, like the rest