The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-17

quickly, for it's freshness quickly dis
iappears. But in the early months OF
1919, arshal FoCh was still sitting at
the banquet table of popular favor,
enjoying the full flavor of grateful
recognition. His word on all ques-
tions affecting the security and des-
! tiny of France was heard with def
erence which no other man in France
could succeed in securing. He had
also a quality which is not usually an
attribute of generalship-fot he was
a lucid. forceful and picturesque
speaker. He was, therefore, listened
| to Tor what he was, for what ne SAID,
and for the way he said it.
What did he say?
What Foch Said.
He said a good deal on the subject
| of the Rhine frontier, and l cannot
quote it all. l will take few ger
name sentences out of his numerous
utterauces on the subject.
On the 18th of April, 1919, there ap-
peared in the London Times an in
terview with Marshal Foch. From
that interview l take these salient
passages:
land now, having reac led the
Rhine, we must stay there"
Rhine, we must stay there went on
the Marshal very emphatically. I'm
press that upon your fellow country
men. It's our only safety; their bnly
safety. We must have a barrier.
We must double lock the door. De-
mocracies like ours which are never
aggressive must have strong natural
frontiers. Remember that these sew
cnty millions of Germans will always
be Il menace to us. Do not trust ap-
pearances Of the moment. Their nat
ural characteristics have not changed
in four years. Fifty years hence
they will be what they are today
From the table at the other end of
the room Marshal Foch brought
great map, six or eight feet square,
on which the natural features of this
part of Western Europe were marked.
The Rhine was a thick line of blue.
To the west of the river the Marshal
had drawn in pencil a concave arc
representing the new frontier that
France will receive under the peace
treaty. 1t was clearly an arbitrary
political boundary conforming to no
natural feature Of the land.
Look at that said Marshal Foch.
'ThcTes no natural obstacle along
that frontier. is it there thai We
can hold the Germans if they attack
us again? no. Here, hcra. here
And he tapped the blue Rhine with
his pencil. Here we must be ready
to face our enemies. This is the bar
rier which will take some crossing.
If tho Germans try to force a pass
age over the Rhine-Ho, Ho, but here
touching the black penclled line
,,,r+by-aC,t fro0, ,,a
Saar VALLEY to the Belgian frontier
here there is nothing.
Must Have Armies.
d" No, If you are wise You insist on
having your locks and wall, and We
must have our armies on the Rhine.
Some people object that it VIII take
many troops to hold the Rhine. Not
SO many as it would take to hold the
political frontier. For the Rhine can
be crossed only at certain places,
whereas the new political frontier of
France can be broken anywhere and
would have to be held in force along
its entire length "
He expounded his doctrine in great
or detail in an official memorandum
which he submitted to NJ. Clemenceau
rs Commander Chief of the allied
armies: To stop enterprises towards
the west Of this MISUNDERSTANDING
warlike and coVetous of the good
things belonging to other peoples only
recently formed, and pushed on to
conquest by force regardless Of all
-iEhts and by ways most contrary to
III law, seeking always mastery of
he world. NATURE HAS ONLY
MADE ONE BARRIER - THE
RHINE. THIS BARRIER MUST BE
1ORCED ON GERMANY. HENCE
1ORWARD THE RHINE WILL BE
rHE WESTERN FRONTIER OF
THE GERAIANIC PEOPLES"
Repeated Demand.
lie reDeated this demand in sub
,eouant memorandum. Many of us
.ecau his dramatic irruption into the
3laced arena of the Peace Conference
n May, 1919, still brandishing the
same theme. 1t may be said that
Marshal Foch is not, and does not