Evening star., 1923-09-20
Franco-German Rapprochement
Seen Certain by U. S. Editors

Slowly, but none the less surely
the editors of America see a rap
prochement certain between Ger
many and France. True the leaders
of both countries continue to utter
defiance at specified times. But there
are evidences that passive resistance
is well-nigh ended in the Ruhr. And,
so soon as production there begins to
increase, Preparations in kind" will
pass into France and general Euro
pean conditions must improve.
Both France and Germany" the
Kansas City Post points out. have
suffered as a result of, the situation
that has long prevailed in the Ruhr.
They both. threfore, have reason for
qualification for any developments
that give promise of an early settle
ment of their dispute. The remainder
of the world eagerly awaits such
settlement" While the suggested
industrial accord was brushed aside
by Premier Poincare. a large number
of editors are convinced il eventually
will form the background for COM
piete agreement. while the Roanoke
Times recalls that it is "Strikingly
similar" to the suggestion made by
the American reparations experts in
1919, and agreement must come be-
cause Germany is almost at the end
of her tether, and France, too, Is
secretly sick of the whole business.
Stresemann sees clearly the necessity
for an agreement. Poincare also sees
what he is not yet willing publicly TO
admit" 1t must be remembered, in all
discussion of possible settlements, the
Indianapolis News points out, that 'if
business in France and Germany
bears any resemblance to business in
this country, there can be little doubt
that business men on both sides or the
line are anxious for settlement-as
well they may be. For the present state
of affairs is bad for business. What
is bad for business is bad for all
people, since all, in one way or anoth-
er, live by business and are engaged
in IT.
The New York Post is convinced
Germany is bracing herself for the
inevitable recognizing that her own
collapse must come. unless settle
ment is reached, while the Brooklyn
Eagle holds where all diplomatic
formulas and suggestions for politi-
cal compromises have failed, the ir-
resistible pressure of economic chaos
is succeeding" The latter, as the
Boston Globe recalls, has well-nigh
as such. There is no halfway house
between rule by the very rich or rule
by the very poor. The German mag
mates are suggesting to their French
brethren that they may, after ali,
have more in common with each other
| than they have with the communists.
What is a frontier between friends?"
1t is, however. Germany that yields,
! as the Cleveland Plain-Dealer an
alyzes the outlook, because Just now
the disinterested American, as well as
the American who fought in France
and who, saw war at first hand, sends
a silent message of sympathy to the
\ French who are striving, despite the
opposition of their greatest ally, to
make the victory of 1918 really sig
nificant and not merely 6. temporary
salvation of human liberty and a tenn
porary setback for Prussian ambi-
tion." 1t also, is the German gov
ernment alone, that has been to blame
| for the policy of passive resistance,
| the Mobile Register insists, because
| "lt Is probable that the German work
| ers, glad to receive better pay from
| the French. would have continued
production and the occupation of the
Ruhrs would have been an economic
success. That they have not done so
may be said to have been because of
| the pressure brought to bear on them
| by the Berlin authorities, obeying the
| orders of the German industrialists y
| All discussion of the French attf-
| tude should keep in mind, the Lincoln
Star suggests, that throughout the
rich mining districts of northern
| France Germany set about systemati-
cally to destroy everything that would
be of value to France" so that inc
one single factor enters into the
reparations problem 30 fully as does
| the matter OF compensation for tbs