Evening star., 1923-01-14
FRENCH
French VIII SOIUe
the Impossible,
Says Tardieu.
BY ANDRE TARDIEU.
By Gable to The Star.

BY Gable to The Star.
PARIS, January 13.-At the very
moment the French government was
proceeding with the seizure of the
Essen region, America let 1t be known
that she was withdrawing her re-
naming troops from the Rhineland.
The coincidence emphasized the di-
vergence of views which nobody
longer can doubt. The course, after
the refusal to ratify the treaty of
Versailles, was perfectly logical, but
the time chosen gives a meaning
which telegraphed comments of the
American press further accentuate.
Friends, always, but not in agree
mcnt. Such is our situation. You have
too much respect for honest opinion
20 be surprised if l speak frankly.
For four years an effort has been
made to keep together the combina-
tion which began disintegrating inn
Inediately after the armistice. Its
failure today is obvious. This does
not mean that our good feelings and
good relations are not to be preserv-
ed, but 1t means a waste of time to
pretend to agree, where we do not.
The Americans and the English
criticize US for considering only poll
tics and neglecting economics, where
your two great countries, Immediately
after the armistice, brusquely de-
Stroyed the war organizations which
controlled coal. exchange and trans
portation, were they thinking OF
economic solidarity? No, they were
thinking perhaps. rather narrowly, OF
their own interests. We, with even
more reason, now are doing the same
thing, in declaring that after three
years of continual concessions we
irp M
paying billions every year for Ger
many, for the ruins she caused.
Vain Efforts TO Convince.
You yourself have often said you'd
do the same thing if you were In
our place. But you are not IN our
place. You are not us. 1t seems all
the effort we have expended to con-
vince the English and yourselves mas
been completely fruitless. 1t seems
also that, with Germany and the
soviets excepted, all Europe agrees
with US, which fact seems worthy OF
arresting your attention. You may
reply, we are all mistaken, but we
saw the same of you and the English
and we think your indifference con-
cerning the treaties formldaole
cause of anarchy, not alone politlcal.
but economic. Thus. as you can
change our conviction any more tnan
we can yours, l say again we must
change our methods.
For myself / have tried every way
by voice and pen for three years 10
reconcile our viewpoints. have not
succeeded Nobody has succeeded.
When YOU exploit a mine and find
no more coal there you don't Keep
digging. At the present moment II
would be vain to hope to get anything
out of that allied and associated
mine, which, nevertheless, was SO rlch
during the war.
So we are going to try alone to
put some order into the old continent.
We will cease annoying you by ask
ing your opinion on questions which
do not interest You, as your domestic
questions do not interest US. We
will try to apply those international
contracts which you refused TO
ratify after signing and the English
refused to execute after ratltying;
international contracts which cannot
be abandoned without condemntng to
death of all of those central European
states which I myself heard you ac-
claim so often when 1T was a question
of liberating them from the German,
Austro- Hungarian and Russian yoke.
We will try to do our own business
ourselves, gently, If possible, other
wise, If compelled.
Words Misunderstood.
It wasn't we who invented the
phrase Speak softly, but carry a big
stick" Our honeyed words have been
misunderstood. Therefore we turn
to the stick. The future Will show
which is best.
We are doing what the English and
Americans have done in other times.
II it was right for you, then why is
1t wrong and unjust when coming
from us? You will watch US as we
watched you at the time Of Cuba and
the Philippines and as you watched
England at other times.
You will be witnesses of results
and we'll cease vain, irritating dis
puteS. Whether we or you like it or
not, a new epoch is beginning which
will last many years. If we succeed
you'll see we will be good payers and
remain good friends. 1t is the way
of wisdom and the only way to guar
antee the future.
The other method, which in 1918
saved the right and liberty, had my
preference. 1t Is not Frances fault
if 1t became impracticable.
Copyright, 1929