Evening star., 1923-02-05
FRANCE IS FORCING
GERMANY TO KNEES
Ruhr Invaders Are Tighten
ing Grip on Natural Re-
sources of Valley.
ALLIED SENTIMENT VEERS
U. s. Opinion Favors Poincare
Policy as Hope for Repara-
tions Appears.
ALLIED SENTIMENT VEERS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

itie tae Ing AleHlnR OF frances half
Nelson. grip on Germany in the
growing belief that any hour NAV
nnd 1t a stranglehold to which the
Germans have succumbed. Germany,
despite protestations of continued de-
nance, is in the plight of a wrestler
whose shoulders are all but pressed
to the mat. She can still wriggle and
writhe. The life of her is not choked
out. Her spirit is not crushed Bur
SPRAYING over and across those Vital
resources from which a nations DOW
ers of resistance are derived is a
giant with both purpose and strength
TO impose his will.
In such a crisis the overpowered
party has two alternatives. He can
maintain diminishing resistance un-
" ne IS utterly PROSTATE. or he can
throw up the sponge. admit defeat.
ana escape with the lightest punish
ment possible. In Washington many
observers OF the mighty duel between
french sangfro!d and German hart
naeckigkeit (stiff- -necke edness) are
convinced the sands are fast running
out for Germany. The end. it Is felt.
may be fastening with dramatic
swiftness.
TOhncarS's Task.
1t has not been appreciated general
" that while French troops have
been occupying the Rhur, French di-
plomacy had no less formidable task
IN the great capitals of the world
outside intervention. especially from
the two powers that publicly opposed
occupation-the United States and
Great Rritain-has been the bogey
feared by the Poincare government
almost to greater degree than the
danger of armed resistance by the
Germans. With the demonstrated in
ability or disinclination of the Ger
mans to fight, and the splendid SOIL
darity Of the French people. Poincare
faced only one other serious possibii-
ity. That was world pressure" exer-
cised through the American and Brit
ish governments, acting either indi-
viduallv or in concert.
The Germans have spared no effort
to create such a diversion. They felt
reasonably certain that the British,
having broken with France over the
Ruhr, and since then over the near
east, would unquestionably join in
any movement to check or Illustrate
the Ruhr campaign. What Germany
longed for was American initiative in
that direction. The Berlin govern
ment mobilized every resource at it's
command to that end.
Only in quarters where there has
been response to it's efforts is the
world aware of just what those eff
forts were. The Swedish bishops
were induced to petition for Ameri-
can Intervention. Then the German
trades union organizations addressed
the United States Congress. What
neutral governments were petitioned
can only be surmised. 1t has been
whispered that the good Offices of
theN Vatican were sought. Familiar
German propaganda in a dozen gUises
has been at work.
French to Stay I'm Ruhr.
Not the least subtle maneuver was
the lachrymose account circulated
on Saturday of the simple first "at
home" given at the German embassy
in Washington by the ambassador
and Frau Doktor Wiedfeldt. There
were circumstantial stories of the
''machine-made rugs" and "scrim
curtains" that now adorn the one
time luxurious embassy; of the lean
tea table Frau WIedfeldt provided
for her guests. and of the tears"
that welled into her eyes as she
Essen, now ringed with French I5s.
From the office of Dr. W'edfelt
there has been rain of Berlin COM
muniques telling Of French "brutali-
ties In the Ruhr and of the pitiable
lot of hungry women and children.
Undoubtedly two weeks ago Am
erican public opinion was ranged on
Germany's side to degree that dis
concerted Frances friends. Anti
French sentiment was nourlshed by
prophets of evil. who while not di-
that her mad aventure'' would
speedily collapse and. If it did not
collapse, would plunge Europe into
another devastating war. Well.
there has been no collapse and no
war. France has pounded straight
ahead. answering sporadic German
defiance with rigor instead of 1eni-
ency. Her soldiery. in. the face of
what often must be intense provo
cation. appears to be restraining it.
self admirably. The bluffs Of Ber-
are ruthlessly called. No repara-
ton coal or reparation gold has
crossed the Rhine from Germany to
France. but the French are demon
strating with their every gesture.
their expectation to stay in the Ruhr
until the flow Of both fuel and cash
has been started in the right direc-
ton.
L. s. Opposition Fades.
Frances determination not to be
detected from her purposes has made
a deep impression in responsible AM
erican quarters. If there ever was
any intention upon the part of the
Harding administration to take media
tory steps that might have been unac-
ceptable to France. the imperturb-
able pursuit of her program has ban
ished such a possibility. Probably
it will some day be accounted the
supreme achievement of Jules Jusse-
rand's diplomatic career. that Ger
man propaganda and pro- -Germanism
did not have a different result.
On Capitol Hill 1t is conceded that
the speech of Senator David A. Reed
Of Pennsylvania went far toward
turning the tide definitely against
any chance of American action in
imical to France. The reaction to
the Reed speech, a. prominent mem
tee of the Senate told this writer, is
immense. Not only has the young
soldier-senator himself been deIuged
with messages of appreciation, but