The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-26
Telephone, msla ,,o0.
Finds France Politically
Serene, But Nigh Bankrupt
Poincare Government Holds Favor-Ameri.
can Motives Misunderstood, Cables
Simonds in Summary From Paris.

the statement as significant 1t is
as IL AcAdoo, for example, had said
the United States would not ask
payment. Knowing what McAdoo
was, France would have attached
Importance to such statement,
while Americans would have ap-
preciated that out Of ONCE Mr. Nc
Adoo spoke only for himself.
1t is true that France does not
see how she can pay IL Germany
does not pay France. The truth -,
France Is now semi-bankrupt, and
would be absolutely bankrupt II
Germany failed to pay and the
United states and Great Britain in
sisted on collecting. Thus for
France there are only two hopes of
solvency, Germany payment or
Anglo-Americah forgiveness. Some
Frenchmen still hold the idea that
salvation will come through Amer
lea, but / think the government ap-
preciates that nothing could be
more insane than the idea that they
can anticipate any American policy
by open reputation.
At the moment as direct con-
sequence of the Washington cpl
sode there Is going on in the cham
Der of deputies a very interesting
campaign for reducing of military
service to one year. 1t was three
years in 1914. The project de-
Tended by BRAND at Washington
was for eighteen months The one
year service period would reduce
the French army by over one hun
dred thousand and would bring II to
the lowest point any one in Europe
ever suggested as compatible with
French safety.
Sees German War Near.
That Germany means at no dis
tant time, not later than twelve
years, when the plebiscite Of the
Sarre will take place, to conduct
war of revenge upon F-ance, re-
mains a settled conviction. France
believes-how often one hears this
phrase-that she knows Germany
better than the Anglo-Saxon from
much closer and more intimate re-
lations. She no longer feels GER
tain either of British or American
aid in the case OF a new German
attack, therefore her army has for
her a very precise meaning. Her
problem Is a minimum compatible
with her own security. but 1t Is
worthy of note that. Washington
seems to have had the effect OF
bringing down the estimate to an
irreduciblG minimum.
On the naval side the French
policy Is really dominated by the
same issue. What France feels the
need OF is just sufficient naval
strength to insure that she is able
to bring from North Africa those
troops which are an essential cir
cumstance Of her home defense. One
hears much of black troops but
II is less often appreciated that
France has upwards Of twelve mill
lions of white subjects in North
Africa, more than a million OF
whom are of pure European ex-
traction.
Now the French naval program
for 1928 calls for the construc-
tion Of two S,0O0-ton cruisers, three
destroyers, twelve submarines. II
certainly would be difficult to mag
Inc a more modest program and
even this will not all be charged
to the budget of one year. Since
this is the real measure of French
naval possibilities nothing could b..
more foolish than a policy such as
France followed at Washington
and today one hears the confession
made OF this fact on many sides.
The truth Is that French finan-
cial ruin Is due not to military
or naval expenses. but to the rep
aratlons. France has spent almost
uncOunted billions getting her DE-
vastated areas back to production.