The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-14
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformef.1
Copyright 1922.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-For the
first time since the European war a
French cabinet crisis has a direct bearing
on the policies of the United States gov
eminent. And while it may seem para
doxical to say it, the truth is the going
of Premier BRAND is coupled with an OPP
timistic expectation that his resignation,
will prove the most beneficial thing that
has happened in the European situation
i'll three years.
The United States has refraiRed from
expressing itself on the subject of Euro
pean reparations. vet it was watching
with anxious eyes the continuous sniping
behind the back of Premier BRAND and IT
knew that no progress could be made In
Europe until there was showdown be-
tween the extremists represented by Pom
caire, Foch and the military crowd who
want to force Germany~to pay the exag-
gerated figures called for by the repara-
tons agreements thus far. and the mod
crates who believe world reconstruction
hinges upon a concilatory policy and
shaving down of the reparations obiiga-
tiOns.
The showdown has come at last. Few
officials here believe Premier BRAND was
in the wrong when he resigned and laid
the case before the whole world. To have
kept up negotiations while there always
doomed up behind him the backfre of his
interests was simply TO keep Europe I'M
an unsettled stage and make the forthcom-
ing Genoa conference on economic affairs
of doubtful value. The general opinion
in official circles here is that eventually
BRAND will be indicated, but that it may
take time for the new party in power in
France to come around to his viewpoint.
May Call BRAND Again.
The prediction is that the Poincare
party will either fail at its task and COM
pei BRAND to be called to power again
or that the facts of the European situa~-
ton viii gradually force Poincare to adopt
a policy virtually the same as that pro
posed by BRAND. Whichever it turns out,
the Judgment here is that the cabinet
crisis in France clears the air and ends
the period of uncertainty between the two
major groups in French politics who have
permitted the intricacieS of their quarrel
to reach even to the Washington confer.
ence on armament.
Fortunately for the United States gov
eminent it had not accepted the INVITA-
ton to attend the economic conference at
Genoa. NJ. BRAND made it clear to the
French chamber that America would
come into the conference. but he was sim
ply anticipating certain acceptance when
he used the phrase America has agreed"
indicated her intention of joining an eco
nOmic conference but wanted to know
more of the program and scope of the con
ference before announcing official accep
lance. As il is now, the United States
finds itself even more inquiSitive. If the
poinCare group means to insist on the
letter of the Versailles treaty and use
military force to make Germany pay her
obligations. American participation in the
Genoa meeting is unthinkable. In
sense the new POincare ministry in France
will find alongside the government of
Great Britain another powerful govern
ment-the United States-in examining
the practical aspects of economic recon
structiOn.
Mistake by POincare Party.
1t would not be surprising if the bring
ing of America into the Genoa conference
was the very first stumbling block the
PoIncare party would encounter. The
! United States must be convinced that the
Genoa meeting actually intends to relieve
1.-the economic distress of Europe before
attendance will be assured. And it is the
fundamental belief of the officials here
that German reparation payments must be
adjusted before anything feasible can be
concluded along other economic lines.
Another factor which is expected to
moderate the Poincare policies and show
the new party what BRAND was up
Germany. The growing commercial
friendship between Germany and Britain
was the first source of Anglo-French dis
cord. Prime Minister Lloyd George did
not hesitate to show France that if the
latter insisted upon policy that might
bankrupt Germany the British would not
play along with the French but would
come to the moral support of Germany.
1t is an open secret that American officials
concur in the views of Lloyd George and
that the moral support of America and
Great Britain will be found on the side of
Germany in the reparations controversies
of the immediate future.
NJ BRAND tried to head it off by closer
relations with Britain and modified pol
icy on separations. His opponents called
this a surrender. He gave up the fight
by resigning and permitting his political
opponents to try their hand. When they
come face to face with all the factors
the British leaning toward Germany and
Russia. the American concurrence in the
British views on European economic re-
construction, and the tendency of the larg-
est creditor nation in the world-the
United States-to stand aIoof while
France gropes for a stable policy the uni
Yersal conviction here is that France will
make her viewpoint conform to that of
the other powers and the day of world
reconstruction will then be FASTENED.