Evening star., 1924-11-27
FRENCH CAUTIOUS
IN LIBERAL VIEW
Felt Safe With Macdonald in
PoWer-Anxious Now That
Herri0t Go Slow.
Correspondence Of The Star and New York

Correspondence Of The Star and New York
World.
PARIS, November s-France is to-
day the only large country in Europe
with a liberal government. Six
months ago it had one of the most
reactionary governments. The Brit
ish, even the Germans, had broad,
disinterested policies compared with
the French. Now the liberalism of
the French stands head and shoulders
above the British, the Germans, and,
Of course, the Spanish and Italians
with their relationships.
The French are governed by their
Radical and Radical-SocialiSt parties
backed and to a large degree directed
by the Socialist party itself Herrfot
and his friends are men of the most
liberal view and in addition they are
closely associated with the avowed
Socialists. At home they are bent on
every type of reform which will bet
ter the conditions OF life. Abroad
they are fixed on two firm policies
not to have anything to do with the
Vatican and to enter into as close re-
lations as possible with the Soviets
They are, further, the principal sup
porters of the compulsory arbitra-
tion protocol. They have been praised
by all liberals as much as Poincare
and his friends were condemned by
them.
AS long as Mr.. Macdonald and his
friends ruled in England the average
Frenchman was contented. for the
average Frenchman is not only a lib
eral, but a rather aggre ssive demo-
crat. Now that he has put aside the
fear of the German he is his natural
self. the descendant of revoiutionists.
Historically, the French revolution
was last week, the Paris commune
was yesterday.
Cautious Liberalism.
But now that Mr.. Macdonald no
longer rules in England the average
t'renchman is beginning to feel
France stands alone, and the expert
enCe of the war was that France
cannot stand alone. His liberalism
is cautious. He believes in Herriot.
but he fears the effect of Conserva-
tive government in Britain and
another in Germany.
Since the war. as the average man
realizes, the countries OF Europe are
much more interdependent than be-
fore. No country can brusquely
change its policy without it affect
ing all the rest When France
turned Liberal last spring it eased
I'D the strain under which Europe
has been living since the end OF the
war. Now that Britain has gone
Conservative the tension has in
creased again and the strain is felt
chiefly in the relations between Eng
land and France.
Herriot Has Problem.
The average Frenchman as re-
suit wants his government to go
slow. He is anxious that it do moth
ing that works against the interests
OF the British or against what the
British may consider their interests.
Whether Herriot remains in power
depends much upon how he gets on
with the British. And that means.
as far a interior politics go, whether
he allows himself to be Influenced by
his Socialist supporters into opposing
the British because they no longer
have a government as liberal as that
of France.
Or, to put It a. it is likely to prove
to be, it depends upon whether the
French Socialists force Herriot to
what the British may consider to be
an anti-British stand by developing
the FTanco-German and Franco
Soviet relations so rapidly as to ap-
pear in England to be an effort to-
ward q continental combine.
The safe and sane program for
Herriot would be to come to terms
with Germany over the commercial
treaty. to open business relations
with Russia, but not in such way
dS 10 make II appear france were
trying to get ahead of the British,
and not to continue making "a leading
issue out of the suppression of the
embassy accredited to the Vatican.
Must Provide Outlet.
The commercial treaty must ar
range an outlet for Alsace and Lor-
raine products into Germany. The
private arrangements being made be-
tween the Lorraine steel and the
Ruhr coal magnates are aiding in
this, but the government has been
wise enough to make them stop with
that and not go on to make COM
bines which affect distribution and
thereby affect the British steel in
dustry, which is not and does not
wish to be in this continental COM
bine.
The Russian relations are not in
any event likely to bring France into
Immediate opposition with the Brit
ish, because there are still long nego-
tiations ahead. The Soviet recogni-
tion may prove to be an embarrass-
ment to the government later on IL
the negotiations lead only to such an
accord as Macdonald signed, but that
is not an immediate difficulty due to
French liberalism. The trouble in
this case would come from the
French Conservatives.
Opposition to the government
which comes through its anti clerical
policy would also be from the same
quarter and would unite with the
other. If concerted opposition bent
on overthrowing Herriot is devel-
oped it will have its force in malcon-
tents of three kinds-those who con-
sider the government not sufficiently
friendly toward Britain and too
friendly toward Germany, those who
do not like the way the negotiations
with the Soviet government are con-
Quoted or the result they lead to, and
the clericals. United they will make
at least powerful opposition. which
Will undoubtedly make the govern
ment realize the wisdom of going
slow. Already the government is
awake to it's dangers and SO may
avoid them.
Light is the speedest thing that
exists. II rusheS onward at tho an