New-York tribune., 1922-06-14
Germans Duty
TOPay for Ruin,
Says Jusserand
Question Of Overlooking the
Victim to Spare Agrees
or. He Asserts i'm Defend
ing Reparaiions Stand
France Is MOI Militaristic
Ambassador Declares the
Nation Is Steadily Rcduc-
ing Military Expenses

CHICAGO. June i3. Tho course NJ
France With respect 70 roparations, her
army and her part ~ tho arms con
ference wcrc defended bY jules j.
Jusscrand. tho French Ambassador to
tho United States, in an address To-
day at the commencement exercises Of
tho University of Chicago.
The Ambassador denied that France
was mlitaristic declared France had
been more lcnicnt with Germany than
The Germans had been with tho French
after 1870. ard asserted that tho am
bitions Of France in tho Washington
conference were in reality modest
ones and aimed only a. resumng IN
this respect naval powcrl. as wen as
for trade. iraustdry. agriculture, etc,
tho rank we had held before the war
Tho subject Of trade also was
touched upon hy thc Ambassador, who
IN this connection gave assurance that
America had nothing 10 fear from
France IN that respect because, FIRST.
our products arc not so very cheap;
second, they do not generally compete
with yours. each Of us conforming TO
our bent and obcying our own interest
follow different lines"
Germans Duty to Make Good
"Whcn rcparations arc spoken Of"
he said, "you will often hear people
say or imply: Arc not the French too
exacting? Could they not show
mercy?
They wish they could. but how can
thoy7 II is a question Of overlooking
tho victim so as 20 spare the aggressor.
Somebody must pay for those recon
structions. Why should IL he those on
whom they were inflicted? Toward the
enemy we have been more lenient than
they were In 1870, when the fortune OF
the war had been favorable to them.
They made Us pay for what the war
had cost them. As a compensation for
the immense treasure We had 20 spend
in this war 10 defend ourselves against
their unprovokcd attack We ask nothing
For the rest, their duty is TO make
good"
France Is a militaristic country. you
may have heard; she keeps an enor-
nous army. why does she?' he con-
tnucd.
First, she does not. Her army is
not an enormous one and u is steadily
decreasing year by year. Military serv-
ice. which before the war was OF three
years, is now Of eighteen months, and
soon will be. If no untoward event in
tcrfercs, OF one year.
"Onr military expenses reached dur
ing tho last year Of the war l9ls--
the colossal sum OF 36.000,000.000
francs; foT. famous as we are as
thrifty nation. we cease 10 be 50 when
the country is In danger Ia 1919 they
were lS000.000.000 francs.
Gradually Reducing Army
"The number Of our soldiers, which
had lached 100000 or 100000 dur
inc tho war. has been gradually re-
ducet and will be more and more. 10
Is expected that next year only 100000
will bc lSft. colonial and native troops
included.
As W, arc IN normal times a thrifty
nation. VIC spend considerably less for
our defense than the United States,
whom no o.e will describe as militar-
istic. and than our British friends,
whose nava! expenses alone surpass
the whole cost OF our national defense
on land, air and water. And yet
neither they nor you have the disad-
vantage Of an enemy-bordercd frontier.
But yet people say: France, with all
that, is the strongest military power
in the world. The answer is why not?
Is there one nation with better reasons
to be on her guard? II she does not
guard herself. who will guard herr Is
there one with better reasons 20 de-
sire not TO suffer again what she alone .
did suffer? II there is one, please
name her.
"A good deal has been said on the
occasion Of the Washington confer .