The Washington herald., 1922-08-27
Alliance Break Gives France
Supremacy, Says Simonds
Britain Unable to Save Germany and Poten-
tial Markets Without Moral and
Financial Aid of America.

+
payment. Britain is concerned with
Germany shall not recover " she
does not nay. Britain that whether
she pays or not. she must be per-
mitted to recover. Both policies
are decorated with every possible
moral and material establishment.
but the truth is that Britain wants
trade and France wants cash.
In the end. then, complete differ
ence In, needs and therefore in
policy. have led to an open dead
lock after nearly three years Of
more or less suppressed and Off
cially denied friction.
Britain Needs U. s.
Assuming. now. that the break
has become. not merely public but
permanent. what are to be the con-
sequences? First of all and for
quite obvious reasons British effort
is to be concentrated in a final en-
deavor to bring the United States
back to Europe. 1t is almost a
matter of life and death for Eng
land. because she has lost her last
restraining hold upon French
policy. Neither by financial nor by
military means can the British hold
back the French IL the French now
decide to go into Germany and levy
upon the property of the delinquent
debtor.
That France would get little or
nothing is beside the point, be-
cause she would postpone indefi-
nitely any German recovery and
thus perpetuate the paralysis Of the
German market and prolong the
period of great Britaish unemploy-
ment. And by such a process the
French might precipitate a domes-
tic collapse in Germany which
could lead to the actual breakup
of the German state. SuchA re-
suit. without helping the French
fiscal situation. would patiently con-
tribute to future French security.
Loses Control of France.
The main, the only value from
the British point of view of the
Anglo French entente since the
close Of the war has been the
power it provided British states
manship with to restrain French
action which might injure British
trade. To restrain France now
Britain must have allies. But in
able. Britain must have help from
America because we hold the purse
strings of the world.
OF course. in the end, il we can't
be persuaded to come back, Britain
will be Obliged to make terms with
France or else see France coerce
Germany without regard to British
problems of trade and industry. One
school of British politicians believe
that the Anglo-American alliance is
either impracticable or impossible and
would. therefore. deal with France
now But the dominant school. Lloyd
George since the day we entered
the war. has worked for the Anglo
American alliance which means the
subordination Of French to British
interests.
Help Needed mt Once.
The chief difficulty lies in the fact
tnat the European situation cannot
wait. Therefore America must nor
only come but soon come That is
the key of the whole situation.
Even il we don't come actually.
we could serve all useful purposes.
accepting the British Liberal
Radical conception. if only we
would join the British in a general
cancellation of allied debts and in
the same operation insist upon
French disarmament and the
evacuation of Germany. Thus Ger
many would be saved and France
shackled. while. at the same time
France would actually receive ron-
siderable compensation, namely the
elimination of her debts to the
United states and Great Britain.
~ s-lx
would get free of the $1,000, 0O0, 900
they owe us ard obtain release for
their faithful Italian allies from
British, American and French
creditors at one fell swoop.
Nothing to Hold France.
But If we don't cancel then
Lloyd George has no possible pow
er to use to restrain or purchase
/ French compliance with British
terms. France can and ultimately
will do what she pleases and.
/ whatever the ultimate conse-
quences. there is nothing to hold
] back French armies on the con-
| fact, clearer and less encumbered
road than ever lay invitingly open
to Napoleon. And every step
/ taken by French soldier will
| have evil consequences for a Brit
! ish workman.
Assuming. and II seems a fair as
sumption. that the United States
will not consent to any new Euro
pean adventures, what does the i'm
mediate future promise? Three
| things 1t seems reasonably certain;
/ first, the complete ruin of Germany:
/ second. the fiscal bankruptcy of
France and. third, a long and ter
! rible strain upon British industry
! due to the continued prostration of
/ world markets.
/ Germany Facing Ruin.
The ruin of Germany will be the
consequence OF two things, ultimate
/ industrial paralysis due to the la
ter stages of imitation and immedi-
ate trouble incident either to
/ French action or to the ever pres
, ent threat of such action. Under
I the strain of external and internal
difficulties one may look for a pos
/ sible disruption of the German
Reich and a repetition of the pro-
cess which following the Thirty
I Yaars War raS,tltad In fha palificol