The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-07-20
French Aim
to Disrupt
m a ny
Military Dominance Over All
Of Europe Is Republics
Ultimate Purpose, Brit
on Charges.
Aid Separatist Moves
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

controversy between Britain and
France is a question less often men.
toned IN the public addresses OF
statesmen than in private conversa
tions. It is a question SO pregnant
with grave possibilities that respons!
BILE statesmen in office avoid bring
ing 1t up and hesitate to put it into
words. Outside Of the world of states
:ssen, it is occasionally mentioned by
writer's and others In unofficial posi-
tions.
Probably the best way to state the
question Is to put it in the words of
the leading English liberal writer, A
G. Gardiner, in the Nation, which Is
now edited by John Maynard Keynes
Mr.. Gardeners statement reads in
part as follows:
Together with the United States,
we had the power at Versailles OF
making the peace instrument and
means of regenerating Europe and
turning the face Of the world toward
the light. We threw away that price
less moment, placed France in the
saddle and for four years have been
vainly trying to check its imperious
Napoleonism.
Germany's Future, Question.
The issue between the two coun'
tries is much deeper than any ques'
tion Of passive resistance. 1t is
whether Germany is to be wiped out
politically dismembered, economic
ally destroyed.
France throughout has pursued
two purposes which are mutually de-
structive It's nominal aim has been
the extraction of reparations too vast
and expansive to be stated in figures.
This impossible task was imposed
upon France as means Of promoting
the major puropose of reducing its
political and economic impotence. The
latter motive has now emerged as
the dominant and undisguised theme.
Whenever there has seemed a
prospect that at last a way had been
found out Of the jungle. Poincare ap-
peared with his No thoroughfare,
and meanwhile he established as a
corollary his policy Of a military die
tatorship over Europe on scale un-
precedented since the days Of Napo-
leon, planting black troops to terror
ize the most civilized cities of central
Europe and building up a vast system
of strategic blockhouses from the Bal
tic to the Black sea, encouraging Po-
land in the widest dreams of impe-
rialism, arming the Turks, whom
British soldiers had conquered and
enabling them TO wipe out the fruit Of
war; fomenting conspiracies In upper
Silesia, pouring money into the lap
of Rumania for military expansion.
and establishing supremacy in the
air that makes London itself infinite
ly more vulnerable than it has ever
been before in history.
Baldwin's Course Clear.
THE course before Premier Bald.
win is clear and imperative. He de-
sires no more than any of us to open
a breach with France. but IL, as
seems to be the case. Poincare is un-
yielding, then in the interests alike
OF this country and of Europe, he
must take his own line. The alterna-
tive is unthinkable. It is to drift
helplessly in the wake of France, not
until Germany only but the whole OF
European civilization Is obliterated."
The statement directly affirms that
disruption of Germany is Frances Inn
mediate purpose and that military
dominance over Europe is its ulti-
mate purpose. Officially, France has
Axer admitted this purpose. 1t IL
expected that IL Premier Baldwin 3
statement this week Is successfully
phrased II will put the burden upon
Poincare either OF avowing or dis
avowing the purpose OF disrupting
Germany.
II is also fact that in the Rhine
land, the Ruhr, Bavaria and else
where In Germany the French secret
ly give encouragement, financial and
otherwise, to separatist intrigue.
Aids Other Nations.
The charge is true that France has
given money to build up what Mr..
Gardiner calls system OF strategic
blockhouses" In central Europe.
Within the last five months France.
in spite of the poverty OF which it
complains. has given many hundreds
OF millions OF francs In money for
military equipment to four different
nations In eastern and southeastern
Europe.
In the suspicious Of Frances accus-
ers, IL has passed into a national
state Of mind recalling not 80 much
the glory of Napoleon. as Is commons
ly charged, but rather more accurate
iy the undisputed autocracy OF Louis
XIV, who said "The state? l am the
state"-for which phrase the present
French militarists would substitute
Europe? France is Europe"
Copyright, 1920