The Washington times., 1922-04-12
POLIT|C|ANS0F
PARIS PLAN To
PRESS GERMANY
Taking About New Invasion
of Rhine and Present
Problem at Genoa.
by POLITICUs.


The politicians in Paris are threat
ening war again. With unparalleled
courage they are talking about new
invasion of helpless Germany. The
last war did not last long enough for
them. Saved by the United States
from the brink of the abyss. they
SEEM TO regret now that they were
not permitted to drink to the bottom
the dregs of wars horrors.
1t is a peculiar background for the
sessions at Genoa. But 1t shows
how much of fravd and hypocrisy
there still is In European diplomacy.
At Genoa. M, Barthou and the rep
resentatives of q score and q half
of nations are trying to trace the
thorny. difficult path to peace. AT
Paris, M. Poincare is exulting In the
discovery of another easy way to
war. No swashbuckling musketeer
ever ratified q saber with lighter
ton, with the peace Of the world
at stake.
Powers Arc Limited.
The latest threats of new in
vasion of Germany win doubtless be
heard In Genoa. Nor win they make
that task amy easier. II is barely
possible that that conference viii do
something to head off the new peril.
Yet it's own powers are limited and
whisper may wreck it. AS the re-
suit of last years unheralded invas-
ion of Frankfort by the French, the
allied governments made q new agree
ment' that no such step should again
be taken without unanimous consent.
Now France ts reported to feel jus
titled in taking action without walt
ing for such a consent.
Yet a lot of things have happened
IN the last twelve months, whose
contemplation may chill some Of the
warlilke ardor of the DUAL d'Orsay,
so that a renewal of hostilities I'm the
Rhine region may again be averted.
The French course is not as smoth
as II once seemed. An invasion of,
Germany today would be different
undertaking than Il was q year ago,
or two years ago. Those spring
eruptions of the French proved less
dangerous than they had threatened.
But at that time, France stood far
more firmly fixed in her relations
with her war associates. Now even
the blindest of her statesmen must
see the deadly isolation which has
resulted from the French policies Of
the last three yearA
Most important of these is the wide
divergence between London and
Paris, not only in their attitude
toward Germany and the treaty of
Versailles. but toward Russia, toward
the problems of the Near East. and
toward the whole worldwide scheme
OF postwar economics. This alone
should be enough to enforce q little
calmer consideration on the part of
M. Poincare before he starts new
European war.
OF itself, the attitude of italy would
be of little Importance. But as in
dorsing the policies of Great Britain,
the course of the government at
Rome should have a further sedatlve
effect on the overwrought nerves Of
Paris.
Attitude Of Poland.
Even more important is the atti-
tude of Poland. So far. France had
counted upon Poland as a thick-and-
thin ally. Did not millions of good
French francs flow freely into the
military Golfers of Warsaw to make
possible the maintenance of an army
three or four times as large as that
Of the United States7 Now Poland Is
flirting with the Soviet government
at Moscow, and Is declared ready TO
participate in a general disarmament
of Europe. II this proves true, IL win
go far toward undermining French
hopes of armed assistance from the
Czecho- -Slovakian, Rumanian and
Jugo- Slavian governments, which are
built on similarly flimsy underpin'
ming.
on top of all this Is the changed
attitude of the United States. NJ.
BRAND did not have to come to the
Washington conference to discover
that, while Messrs. Foch and Joffre
could win the cheers of admirlng
throngs, French militarism had a
harder row ahead of 1t. A year ago,
this attitude was not so prominent.
But II the Washington conference
had any by-products at all, a closer
understanding between the Washing
ton and London governments was
the most important one. And this
understanding viii be far more effec-
tive against Paris than against
Tokyo. If M. Poincare undertakes 10
set fire to anything on the European
continent, British propaganda will
see to IL that he gets no comfort out
of the United States. There may be
little love for Germany in this course,
but that will be cold comfort for the