Evening star., 1923-02-25
POINCARE NOW STRIKING
ANCLO.AMERICAN ACCORD
Banshee of Peace Conference Again
Alarms Continental Bloc Threat
Designed to Sway U. S.

ever again obtaining a defensive al
nance with them, the French are
more open In announcing of their
policies. And one of the two cfiefest
Of these. ranking next, IL not fore
most, Is the breaking down of fur
Their agreements between the English
speaking countries.
America In Warned.
AS recent advices indicate. the
French have, in fashion, served warn
ing upon America that II there is
further coordination Of the economic
and financial policies Of England and
America, then America must look
into the face Of a continental bloc Of
nations which will resist any settle
ment of debts which is not predicated
upon reparations. a policy which nei-
ther the British nor American gov
ernments has seen fit to indorse. In
this bloc, according to Paul Scott
Mowerer, who Is closer to the French
foreign Office than any other Ameri-
can newspaper writer. will be Bel
gtum and Italy. two of the other
largest debtor nations. Backing this
bloc will be 150,000,o00 peoples who
likewise viii attempt to raise bar
riers to future Russo-German aggres-
sion. The threat is made by several
Of Frances leading men that these
nations Will pursue a common policy
against the settlement of common
debts to the United States and Great
Britain. Into any bloc would be drawn
the members OF the little entente and
those countries who are looking TO
France today for political and fnar-
cial guidance, and the force undoubt-
edly would be tremendous in world
affairs. 1t would be a bloc completely
isolating British policy on the conti-
nent and greatly hindering American
endeavor in the way of commercial
expansion. In short, England and
America would be frozen out OF
Quai d'Orsay.
Under the proposed scheme. as in
dicated by Mowerer, the European
bloc fathered by France would at
tempt to control the Mediterranean,
trail Europe and the near east. Russia
even might later be drawn into any
such enterprise, If economic and
financial agreements. are reached.
been troubled by dreams Of Anglo
American cooperation would paint
a picture Of woe to America that our
foreign policy. in SO far as IT pertains
to England, might thereby be In
fiuenced.
May Be Reckoning Wrongly.
No matter how desirous Poincare
may be IN arranging a bloc with the
purpose Of threatening payment OF
obligations to England and America
by predicating them upon a settle
ment of German reparations, which
grows more and more doubtful, he
possibly is reckoning wrongly.
AS to Belgium there Is little doubt
but that the French foreign office
can influence It's various enterprises,
but there is extreme doubt rs 70
whether the Italian government can
be drawn into any scheme involving
open resistance to either America or
Britain.
1t is specifically stated that Poin-
care reckonS on Mussolini, admitting
that before the fascist leaders ad-
vent the furtherance OF the latest
French policy OF breaking down the
knglo-American understanding vas
impossible. There Is no reason to be
lieve, even today, that Italy will be
the long friendship OF the italian and
British peoples and tho really great
regard all Italy has for America
Poincare holds out the bait Of coal
for Italian industries. Italy can get
coal from England. Likewise. 1t IS
asserted, Italy is led to believed that
control OF the Mediterranean shall be
hers with France. But inasmuch as
the Italians today feel bitterly toward
the French because Of Clemenceau's
stand against the Italians when Italy
sought control Of the Adriatic, and be-
cause BRAND and Poincare otherwise
f1outed Italian aspirations In the Va
rious conferences held since Paris,
Poincare will have to go far before
italian influence IS thrown In the
scales in Frances favor.
Italy Concerned as to France.
AS a matter of fact. the foreign Of
fee in Rome today is more concerned
in regard to the extension Of the In
fiuence Of France, particularly In the
countries composing the little entente.
than IN any other question outside OF
the adjustment of Italy's internal SIT
uation. Italian policy generally may
be said to be designed to Illustrate
extension of Poincare's plans in re-
gard to southwestern Europe. Italy
has only been passively active
in supporting the French policy In
regard TO the Ruhr and openly hostile
to certain of Poincare's schemes IN
regard to the near east. In the for
given to Poincare has been because
Mussolini constantly has fought
against breaking the entente, always
trusting that 1t might be saved, IN
with France, at least momentarily.
II is questioned in Washington
whether Italy could be induced to take
a stand hostile to the United states and
might hazard Italy's financial and eco
nomic interests in these two nations
Italy can gain most through friend
ship which has in now1se abated by
virtue OF hints that both England and
America might ask that some attempt
be made to fund tremendous wartime
obligations Political antdpatl1ies in
Rome against French political policies
have been pronounced since the days or
Napoleon, and even before, ana there IS
little reason to suspect that the present.
day policies can be swayed from Paris.
U. $. Not swerved by Threats.
Though the dominance of French in
f1uence in the continent today cannot
be questioned when one deals with
strictly continental policies, 1t Is doubt
ed that the bloc Of nations proposed by
Poincare can successfully withstand
British and American economic and
financial pressure in case these nations
desire to bring it to war Furthermore,
there is little chance that the bugaboo
of an anti-American European bloc will
In anywise influence American policy.
In fact, II can be stated definitely that
though thds government will proceed
cautiously and has no intention OF
openly espousing the cause Of one po-
litical group as against another in Eu-
rope the threats of any one or number
of nations cannot influence any such
agreements this government wishes to
effect. Finally, potential threats will
not sway this government from de-
mandlng the refunding of wartime OBJ
legations when the time is considered
auspicious, lenient as its policy may be
in the meantime.