The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-08-24
ny MILTON BRoSNEn


AMnofsE. France. Aug. "a
Ernest Tessicr h only piece Of
man. hut he taught mo the fear that
Turks IN the hearts Of many French.
men who tolerate a big army ana
hlsh taxes. not because they love
militarism. but because they E,ili fear
that Germany has not been cured OF
her ambitions 20 crush France.
In my wandcrinRs around Tou.
ralne and elsewhere. I gathered that
there are many Tessiera IN France.
N there were not. the government
would have 90 reduce the army 20.
morrow.
poee II little village some miles
away from tho town Amboise. It's
the usual Touralne viilage-stonc
cottages of tho peasant farmers.
little church and public schools on
tho village green.
| In poor little nhon. scaniiy |
stocked with ciRarcta and smoking
tobacco. sits Monsieur Tcssier. He
doesn't SO about much now and he
has plenty OF time 90 think about
things. lie II a.. lie was a farm
laborer all his life.
Tessier was wounded on tho
Alsne. Cured II his hurts. he NJ.
turned Go active duty and In tho
woris Of the engraved army eliza
tion he showed mr. he estab-
ii~hed a machine gun baragr
under heavy fire aud was grave.
~ wounded. Tho surgeons had
Ia saw off his right leg up to the
thigh. lie went 10 a trimming
establishment Mt Courbat main
tanned By Americans. To eise out
his pension. the government gave
him n FREE tobacco license and
his income from all sources prob
ably totals $3.50. ->ot much. but
we manage"
told him many people were
puzzled that France should main.
tain an army estimated az so0.V
men.
Maybe said he. France has that
many In her armies. but I refuse 90
believe that force IL meant for war.
II Isn't an army In the new. modern
sense. because Il has no great re-
serves to draw on. You zee. 40 many
% our men wcrr killed or nalmed
during the inri war. In spite ~ dis
armament. Germany can stlil muster
millions ~ men. The new conscrip.
ton CLASSES IN France viii Yield
smaller numbers % men when YOU
consider our ever.dccressing birth.
rate. In Germany the same classes
viii yield big numbers Of men,
But" said I. Germany has no
guns. no airpianea. no military equip
ment. has she1"
"shs has the men and the Officers
Tho last war showed how quickly
tho peaceful factories Of today can
be turned into tho war factories Of
tomorrow"
But objected. 20 sound him.
"Cermany has no ships. why should
France seek 20 maintain a big flee;
and many rubmnrinenf Against
whom are they dlrcctedT~
Ny paper tells me the Germans
are turning out large numbers Of
merchant ships In no time Tho
Same yards can also turn out war
vesseis.-
so I said 70 him. "You fear Ger
many Them You don't believe the
Germans o. the republic really want
pcaceT"
Well" said he. with fine
judicial air. "they have been thru
u like us and don't think many
Of them would like 10 70 thru II
again. But their republic /. woh-
bling. The others may come
back Into power and they may
seek revenge. In 1914 we peas
ants didn't want war. but we had
u Just the same and had 10 20 90
the front. We want II stili less
now. but the Germans may force
II on us again. They wanted
part Of France then. What can
we do N they start war? Let
our arm. hang down idly and tell
them 10 help themselves 20 what
ever they wants"
suggested a big army must cos,
France a tcrrlficalIy large sum In
addition 20 tho other crushing finan.
clal burdens tho country bore.
Yes. tho Germans haven't paid
one sou toward repairing the dam
age they did. France herself has
spent so billions OF francs on that
work. We peasants don't want 20
, cruch Germany. We know well the
Germans can't do the impossible. but
we have an old saying--qui casse
les cnrreaux. les paie--he who breaks
windows must pay for them. We