New-York tribune., 1922-01-13

So;rc Charges Against France
II was represented that it was pre-
postcrous for France unable I balance
her budget. with foreign change
greatly against '- and demanding
rcparatlon money rom Germany be
yond her debtors ability 20 pay, to in
Gulgc in the luyury Of building naval
vessels when there was - enemy in
sight Such cTtravagancc. i; was as
serted. was not only imprudcnt to n
point that would cause and justify the
entire alienation Of sympathy from
trance. but it was almost CRIMINAL 1t
would put France in the class of mill
'arstic and impcr,aisfic powers, and
her desire for the submarine would
rank her with her late enemy as Il bar
Larous nation.
For some time this representation
was current and seemed to indicate the
attitude Of all the de dc.ogatlons in The
conference Condemnation Of France
appeared to be universal, and yet the
sufficient answer to all this accusa-
tion was accessible to all who were suf-
hcicntly interested to seek it. France
never proposed to do the things ,om-
misunderstood. was unwilling to sur
render her right to seek her own secur-
itv in case it should be endangered
within the next ten years in a man
ncr that would render neccs sarY the
naval defense OF her shores.
Cndoubtcdly. to people living IN
permanent security, to the passionate
dcvotees . total disarmament. and
to all who irrvently wished the complete
,r<, ,t ,rf
ton the position taken by France did
not appear commcnda BILE. 1t was easy
to say the war is over; France is at
present not endangered; VIC want to
open the markets of Europe and France
must not stand in the way. And some
persons, with bluntncss that is char
acteristic Of many excellent people who
sec Only orc thing ut time, did not
hesitate to remind the nation that had
borne the brunt OF the war that it was a
debtor and was therefore not entitled
to have navy
Claims Right to SclfDetense
All this prepared cruel hour for
France. She was treated as a stranger
almost as an apostatc from the creed
of civilizations And yet her only fault
was that she dared to stand for that
supreme right Of nations, the righr 10
defend her right.
1t was really this that gave ofense
It was this that made France for the
moment the icct Of reproach II was
demanded of France that she must for
ever rcnounce the thought of being
first class or even a second class naval
power. She had been first class naval
power in the past, but she had fallen
out of the race. Many of her richest
colonies had been taken from her She
lI hpn vat, .,1n6 At hr a
learned to submit to the DEGREES of the
past. But her future, could she also
surrender that? In the face of not im
possible contingencies. could she con-
template the utter abandonment OF
what was left to her by rcnouncing
her right to defend it. if in some hap
pier future she were able to do so?
1t s difficult for US Americans to
comprehend the mentality Of the his
tie historical. 1t all looks 50 simple
to us Peace is so beautiful and so
profitable. Why not have it at any
price? What arc memories and ira
ditions? They produce no revenues.
And yet it is the impondcrables that
create and explain the history Of the
world.
And now Cannes is making clear
what was obscure at Washington. The
X
for things of the moment. is not wholly
unconccrned for the future He knows !
that France had a good case at Wash
ington. He knows that France has a
perfect right to think first Of her own /
security, and that at any sacrifice she !
ought to preserve it. He knows that (
Great Britain has never wished and
does not wish to have strong naval
power in Europe. Germany's navy is
,,,,,. NO,| l..
revived. The alternative to this he per
ccivcs is a solid and faithful under
standing between Great Britain and /
France. Tht understanding did not
exist and could not be created at Wash
ington. In default Of it France had to
think Of her future.
French Remember History
The French arc -cmincntly a his
torica people. They live in the mem
orics of France. They know that. for
what seemed good reasons, Great Brit
am and Prussia were close friends
from the time Of Frederick the Great
until Germany began to build navy,
and that France, the nearest neghbor,
during that long period was not always
treated as friend. Too often both
countries wanted the same thing, and
as a rule in the end England got it.
NV H'ON. HlSo, WI! mig CuWHru was
anxious for an entente with France:
and yet the relationship of the two
until England's interests
were imperlcd by the great war and
the Channel ports were in danger Of
German occupation,' was not close
enough to result in am alliance. Thcv
understood that the policy of Great
Britain has always been shaped bv hcr
interests. and they do not see whv the
policy of France should not be- # ;s
the accepted standard of wisdom in d;-
plomacy.
At present, for commercial reasons
in which the United States to a certain
extent may share, the French see Great
Britain deeply interested in the re-
hablitation of Germany That. no
doubt, is in the interest of France also
but not quite in the same sense. Not
nrnaturally the French fear that, hav-
ing served the purpose of their neigh
Der in holding Germany back, they NAV
now be forgotten and left to them
selves. while the oldtimc relations
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