Evening star., 1924-07-27
Divergent National Issues
Causes Allies to Hit Snag

against the British and Italians, since
the French presiding officer has the
casting vote In the Reparations Com
mission. But it was to deprive the
French of this control that all British
policy aimed at. The British argued,
with justice, that it would be impos-
sible to raise money, that British
bankers would not undertake to find
it, if France were to retain the power
to declare Germany in default and
then to walk back. into the Ruhr and
upset the whole German economic
and financial establishment and thus
injure, if not destroy, the underlying
basis of the loans.
See Grip Lost.
But the Ere, ;. replied. with equal
accuracy and sincerity, tHsA once the
French and the Belgians had resigned
control of the situation they would
never again have any remedy. They as
serted that the Germans We're only ac-
cepting the Dawes p!H1 in tTrter to get
the loans, and. havi:.g get The loans,
then he would repudiate or rvatnn thu
reparations payments. They emphasized
the fact that then the British and the
Americans would have no concern for
reparations and only be interested in
the repayment nf the loans, and would
thus accept German asgunen's and lis
ten to German pleas
France was perfectly willing to listen
to all demands for the evacuation of
'he Ruhr, although she insisted that
evacuation should accompany German
performance, not precede it. She was
perfectly willing to agree to allied dis
cussion preceding any punitive steps
against Germany; she welcomed an
American member of the reparations
commission who should act as agent
general of the Dawes plan. but by con-
traSt she insisted that there should be
agreement in advance as to what should
constitute default on the part of Ger
many and What steps should be taken
in case of such default. And she was
totally unwilling to surrender definitely
all power to act alone in case her allies
failed her again, as she felt Britain had
failed her in the period just preceding
the Rdhr occupation.
RcrudiatiOn of Extremes.
Now. it is of utmost Importance to
perceive the line taken by the French
representatives, by Herriot and his
associates, in the light of French
public sentiment. The recent politi-
cal overturn in France had certain
quite obvious meanings; it did in
dicate a reputation of the extreme
circumstances both in the program
Of Poincare himself and in the ac-
tions Of some Of his subordinates.
1t was clear announcement that
France rejected the idea of perma-
nent occupation of the Ruhr or any
attempt to destroy German unity by
backing Separatists on the left bank
of the Rhine. 1t represented the re-
pudiation of the Ruhr as a political
, as contrasted with punitive affair.
What the French people meant, it
would appear, was that they were op-
posed to any attempt to interfere
with the unity of Germany. to create
Rhineland republics or even to un-
dertake any economic exploitation of
the Ruhr which might be extended
into a military and even political oc-
cupation. On the other hand, the
French people did nothing and gave
no sign of willingness to do any
thing which would risk, much less
sacrifice, their claim upon Germany
for reparationS DaymentS They re-
mained faithful to the Ruhr or any