Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-05
FUTURE Of EUROPE
HANGS O|VMEET Of
POIICARE AND LAW
Conference of PremierS to
Determine Whether Eng
land VIII Be Friends or
Enemies in Coming Years
BY 4. G. GARDINER
Britain's Greatest Liberal Editor

Britain s GreateSt Liberal Editor
| Especial Cable to The Atlanta Journal and
Chicago Daily News-Copyright, 1927
LONDON, Dec. 1.-The visit to
London of Premier Poincare of
France this week brings to a head
| the entire European situation.
Upon it depends whether there
| will be a continuation of the friend
ly relationship between France and
England.
Upon it also will hinge whether
the Brussels economic conference
can be initiated and whether it will
be possible of success.
When the French premier leaves
for France it will have been decided
whether Europe is to face the light
or is to remain in economic dark
ness. Under the late Premier Lloyd
George, England and France drift
ed far apart. The Turkish eruption
threatened a complete break be-
tween these two wartime allies.
France was backing the Turk and
England supported Greece. Happily
this menace has been cleared away.
France has taken alarm at the aS-
gressiveness of the Turks while all
| England is shocked and Mortified
over the Greek executions. This has
| helped to restore a common view
I point concerning the Near East
situation.
The result of the recent election
also has helped the situation. The
meeting therefore next week between
! Poincare and Bonar Law will be N
an atmosphere from which a good
| deal of the distrust has been cleared.
! OF course the great problems will be
to persuade France to take Il
reasonable attitude toward Germany.
Evidences are not wanting that this
! may be arranged.
New French Attitude
! Loncheur's speech in the chamber
of deputies left the impression that
q new attitude towards the Orient is
being shaped in France { d the
denial from the French embassy at
Washington that occupation for the
Ruhr had been ordered also is re
garded as a favorable symptom.
The opinion prevails here that
Poincare will revive his proposal
that the question of revision of re-
paarations be subject to cancella-
ton of the inter allied dbt. The pro-
posal originally was tOrpedoed
by the Balfour note which made
the cancellation of the French
debt to Great Britain subject 70
cancellation of the British debt 10
the United States.
Public opinion here is moving
powerful toward the convention
that PREPARATIONS and debts alike
are q vain phantom barring the
road to European recovery. What
is wanted is peace and recOncilia
ton to be followed by a general
trade resumption. Without the lat
ter the profound industrial depres-
sion in England cannot be removed.
The new government now is fac
ed with an enormous unemplOy-
mcnt problem. There are a quar-
ter of a million workers existing
on doles handed out by it. Great
runway NtFclODultHL anu OlucI
schemes in contemplation to deal
with the situation are nlakeshifts
unless trade is revived. Emigra-
ton proposals do not meet the
situation. Until peace is restored on
the continent and trade channels are
reOpened the paralysis of English
commerce must continue.
The success of the Bonar Law
government absolutely depends on
the ability to divert the French mind
into more reasonable channels. 1t
would be worth a very great sacri-
flee on the part of Ergl Id if she
could induce France to drop all poll
teal motives that preve.t the pos
sibility of German recovery. Hopess
III this direction are improved by the
evident growing understanding in
France that eXtraVag CANT eXpecta-
| tons from Germany are impossible
and a false dream