Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-14
LEADING EUROPE
TO RUIN BY TRYING To
CRUSH GERMANY, CLAIMS
Vindictive Attitude of Poincare Called Threat
ening to Entente; Continued Bl~udgeoning Will
Result in Break Between Paris and London,
Says Editor; Possibility of Peaceful Ending.
ate administered by bayonets.

| state administered by b%ayonets.
The scheme is universally condemned
as ludicrous from the financial view
and fatal from the political so far as
the recovery Of Europe is concerned.
Throughout the policy of France has
been two mutually destructive object
ives. one being collection of enormous
indemnities and the other being the po-
litical suppression of Germany. Her
new scheme suggests that she earnestly
desires the latter.
Experiences of the past three years
have shown that the policy of %bludgeon-
ing Germany is fatal to the recovery of
debts. French financiers know that as
well as English, American and Italian.
More bludgeoning indicates that the DO
litical motives are in the ascendancy.
Disintegration and the economic ruin
of Germany spell ruin to the hopes of
recovery of British trade. Is England
to be ruined in order that France
should crush Germany? Pursuit Of this
policy can have only one result, the
rupture of British and French rela-
tons.
England has fought this menace for
three years, yielding to France on vi
tai measures to p,acate her, and shut
ting her eyes to the significance Of the
French action. Poincare's proposals
lead to the parting of the ways. Eng
land can travel the road to ruin no
further. If Germany follows Austria
into the quagmire. Italy and other Eu-
|ropean countries will be dragged in with
her and France will not escape. This
is so plain that it is incredible France
is not aware of 1t. 1t compels the ron
%clusion that France is prepared to sac
rifice everything to annihilate Ger
many.
The English press has carefully
avoided retaliation TO the aggressive
tone of theh French newspapers. The
menace of the French policy is univer-
sally recognized. In view of the rejec-
ton by the experts of the French pro-
posals can the entente survive? It is
not a question of a difference of pro-
cedure but whether the committee of
European nations can be restored or
Europe. beyond the Rhine. admins
tered to as a subject territory. The
issue is nakedly apparent and the hour
of compromise is past.
If France now enforces her will. she
acts alone. AS in the occupation of
Dusseldorf and Duisberg, she cuts her
painter and embarks on an adventure
the end none can fortell. Militarily
she is strong and powerful. Her
army. especially in Africa. is enor-
nous. Her equipment of aeroplanes
gives her practically a monopoly on
the continent. She has spent large
sums for mi 'itary railways since the
war and has declined all disarmament
overtures. Through her diplomatic
activity she has a network of second
airy states under French Influence and
her efforts in all directions are as
founding.
France today in Europe is more dom
inane than any power since the days Of
Napoleon. England is anxious to avoid
an appearance of suspicion but the
facts are assuming a disquieting signif-
icance in the face of the present pro-
posals.
We await the developments of the
next few days with deep concern but I
informed that there still exists
hope that a formula can be devised
which will tide us over the immediate
crisis.