Evening star., 1923-05-13
ENGLAND NEARING BREAK
OF WARTIME ENTENTE
Whole Nation, Aroused by French Rep
arations Stand, May Force End OF
Governmental Temporizing.

az eNemplifed through Poincare. The
refusal OF genar Law to openly sang
lSNhf and sueseeuent statements and
aetiene OF his ministere handling the
many Features OF the matter have
Indicated a growing breach,
Freneh action during the pas. week
Rae dome much toward making this
separation Of sSmpathy and govern
mental courses more complete,
And the rising tide Of irritability
In England az a whole-even the pro-
French interests becoming estrans-
ee-will force the hand of the gov
ernment to pursue an individualtstle
policy In regard to Qermany, repara-
tions and French purposes In the
Rhine@and and the Ruhr,
Po..ihle Early Developments.
Advlees received from London iudi-
cate that within the space OF tho next
few months the British may make
several striking moves In the repara
tions chess game.
The displeasure of the government
already has been Indicated 20 France.
Tho union Of British and italian
policies has taken form to greater
extent, Through this alone the ap-
preaching understandings between
tarded indefinitely, IL not perma-
nently.
England, with the tacit sanction of
Mussolini of Italy, may again make
known to the Germans the desire that
new reparations offer more In ac-
cordance with reason be submitted to
the allies.
In case Germany so acts, then Eng
land and Italy would demand out
right that the French and the Bel
gians enter into some sort OF nego-
tiations looking toward eventual set
tlement. Lord Curzon having pointed
out during the past week the neces
sity Of confronting the Germans with
set Stipuiations and the likelihood Of
favorable results IL this Is done.
Would Strike Out Alone.
gians again refuse. England and
Italy. it Is declared, Immediately
would seek to impress their policy
in regard to reparations and general
reconstruction. AS result they
would Immediately set into motion
steps leading toward the sterilization
Of central Europe with the co-opera
tion of the moneyed interests Of Ger
many.
This move would not come as a
fragrant insult to French purposes.
but would be accomplished with an
effort not to offend French Suscepti
bilities. Nevertheless. it is expected
that the French. particularly Poin
care, would resent any effort to loosen
the grip which the French have on
the Rhineland and the Ruhr. in
which case England and Italy would
move. disregarding France as France
has disregarded them. the conse
quences be what they may.
In such case the allied front would
be completely and irrevocably broken.
Once decided upon. it Is not believ-
ed that the temper of the British peo-
pie would permit depression from the
main purpose of stabilizing Europe
No nation opposing such a general
purpose merely for the sake of per-
petuating strictly nationalistic veal
could stand safely before the bar of
world public opinion with hope OF
escaping dire results.
Frankly, in London it is believed
that the quicker that England acts
with determination and brings finan-
cial pressure TO bear upon France by
calling Frances wartime loans, then
the quicker France will show more
signs of reason in adjusting the whole
reparationS problem.
TemporIzink to End.
1t Is almost certain thaC II the pres
ent British government should not
take this very step or adopt one
equally az effective the liberals would
do so, and. in case OF the downfall
of either of the old dominating par
ties, then labor regime would
quickly act in this direction.
Temporizing with France for the
sake OF perpetuating old alliances is
the evil of the present British policy.
according to many British statesmen
and newspapers. and there may be
complete abandonment of policies
savoring of this course within the
next few months.
England does not feel that the last
German reparations offer was bona
fide and just. Neither do many peo-
piles elsewhere in the wrold. But
neither do they believe that Germany
can pay 132.060.000,000 gold marks,
the amount fixed by the reparations
commission in 1921 as just and the
sum Poincare clings to. There is
some medium ground, according to
the English, and the quicker that
middle ground Is reached the quicker
Europe will advance generally And,
If the temper Of England is to be de-
termined rightly at the moment, Eng
land intends to see to it that the
middle ground Is reached at the ear
liest possible date.