The Washington herald., 1922-09-19

note he announced that Britain
would not cancel her claims against
her allies uniess the United States
cancelled its claims against Bril-
tain. But the United States has
said In response that 1t would not
cancel and all OF the allies have
indicated that they would not pay.
Moreover British comment now
shows that no sensible English
man ever expected that the allies
would pay.
In reality the French situation
before the world has materially
improved because the French agree
ment to the Belgian proposal DEM
onstrates . spirit which measure
ably refutes the allegation that
French policy was dictated by
sheer chauvinism, while the French
approval of the Lubersac-Stinnes
agresnent tends to lend support to
the idea that France really does
desire to rebuild her own destroyed
cities and towns rather than to
ravage or annex Germany.
Premier Seeks Solution.
The gravest peril In the path
way Of any adjustment remains
the ambition Of Lloyd George him
self 10 achieve some shining solu-
tion, some pan European associa-
ton not wholly dissimilar from
the league of nations of Mr.. Will
son. To any such plan he hnds
French opposition absolutely i'm
mutable, for France demands that
before Germany and her old asso-
ciates shall be restored into full
standing in the European family
they shall give evidence Of a real
change of purpose.
Lloyd Georges home political
situation would be greatly i'm
proved IL he could score q foreign
success along the lines which are
advocated by his warmest support
ers, many Of whom are frankly
Germanophiie and even more OF
whom are by instinct and habit
anti-French. Such a success would
make Britain arbiter of Europe.
occupying the central position In .
European league and able by its
vote to decide the disputes between
all continental states. And 1t 10
for the mastery of Europe that
Lloyd George and his associates
have been playing for the past
three years.
The dificulty which they have so
far been unable to surmount lies
in the resistance Of France to .
British supremacy which totally
ignored French rights and inter-
ests. Little by little, too. the
French have been reinforced by
the little entente states, by Po-
h.. DaI1 1rf,, oil nf whom
have looked with apprehension at
the development of British policy
which quite openly envisaged the
sacrifice of the interests and even
the integrity OF the smaller states
to the larger scheme of pan-Euro-
peanism with Britain the pnaster Of
the situation.
Seeks Americas support.
So far France has brought the
whole Lloyd Georgian plan to 3
standstill and there can be no soln-
tion of the sort Lloyd George seeks
unless some compulsion can be
brought upon France. and the sole
obvious weapon OF constraint Is
financial strength back Of him In
his campaign to force French mill
tary reduction. He has. both dur
ing the Washington conference and
before. endeavored to enlist Ameri-
can public opinion and rouse Ameri-
can criticism of what he and his
associates call French militarism.
As I have said his end and aim
are to reduce the French army to
the point where France will no
longer be able to resist British pres
sure or find allies in the insistence
upon a continental as opposed to a
British policy. So far Lloyd George
has failed, but he has by no means
abandoned his campaign and we are
likely to have striking examples OF
his tenacity in the next few months
before the new conference. His
first and best chance lies in enlist
ing America. This he has always
perceived and ever sought to ac-
complish.
Failing such assistance. however.
George has still the financial
weapon. from now until the confer
ence assemblies. In that time he Is
bound to make every effort to per-
suade and coerce the French to
agree to reduction of armament and
evacuation OF German territory in
return for cancellation by the Brit
ish OF the French debts. II he sue
ceeds he will in fact be master of
Europe. the influence Of his country
VIII once more be supreme and he
can go before the British people in
a general election almost certain Of
return TO office and TO power.
Campaign Of Bitterness.
But It must be obvious that this
success depends almost wholly upon
'subordinating French views of
French necessities to Lloyd Georges
own political interests and the fact
is also obvious that any surrender
by Poincare would be suicidal and
his elimination from office would be
even more sudden and humiliating
than was that of BRAND. Therefore
one may expect the same obstinate
resistance which has in recent
months completely blocked the
whole Georgian campaign and by so
doing provoke the Lloyd Georgian
press in London to a campaign of
bitterness against France almost as
pronounced as that against Ger.
many during the war itself.
Were the case OF Britain in the
hands Of Lord Grey. Of Lord Lans-
downe. even of the Earl of Balfour.
assuming that he would follow the
course he adopted when last in
power. a settlement would be possi-
Bile. a settlement between France
and Britain which would preserve
the entente and save the European
situation. In my Judgment no such
settlement Is possible while Lloyd
George remains in control, because
with the present premier foreign
policy is always at tb. p,arcy ~