Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-03

not only in eastern but also IN western
France: that they are disturbed by the
interest shown by your government IN
the military organizations OF the new
states in central Europe and finally.
that they question why all these actiVi-
ties should be financed by the French
government in disregard of the fact
that the British taxpayer had TO find
upwards of S0,000.00O pounds sterling
yearly as interest upon loans raised i'll
America and that our taxpayers also
have>to find large sums to pay the In
tercst on the debt of France TO us. -
meet which France herself has rs yet
ntither made nor rropounded, so FAR
as they can see. any sacrifice cquiNa-
lent to their own.
such popular sentiment. erroneous
though they may he. are factors which
both YOU and | arc bound to take int"
consideration. In my Judgment il is
these states Of opinion which har"
vitiated our relations in the past. 1t
is n thoroughly unhealthy condition
which gives US much concern and
which, |, venture to believe disturhs
YOU. too.
1T is not. however. my present pur-
pose TO enter at any length into such
Questions as tho Ruhr and Rhineland
occuCpations, or the palatinatc. be-
yond saying that no one who has To
observe British opinion today can al
ford to overlook the urgent necessity
of coming to ARRANGEMENTS regarding
them without delay.
Il see little prospect OF our being
able to attain any agreement In such
matters unless we are first aDle ny
frank and courageous discussion I"
l, l.,
the essential purposes To which these
~ oblems are merely subsidiary.
For when | consider our relations
In their wider aspects. | do not reel
that our essential objects are so d.
Ncrgcnt. The French people desire
security: the British people cherish
that identical ideal. But. whereas
France ConCcivCs security as security
acainst Germany alone. what we de-
sire is security against war.
TT may well he that some later de-
Codc may see the coming of universal
disarmament and univeI sal arhitra-
! ton. Our task meanwhile must he 10
establish confidence. and TITS TASK
alone can only be achieved by reali%-
! ing and by allaying the international
! suspicious and anxietics when exist
/ today. Whether this object can nc
partially achieved by processes OF To-
cal standardization and nCautraliza-
tiCn. by the creation between certain
/ states of bands of nCutraliZed terri
tory under mutual. or even collective
! guarantees and supervision. or by
! some other means. is matter Tor
careful consideration in detail.
/ at is n matter, | beliVC. in which
the league of nations. both by discus
. sion and eventual action, might play
an important part. 1t is policy IN
support of which the assent and Eoou
! will of every European Country Woutt
have TO be enlisted. But It is policy
which can onl ybe initiated If Franco
and England are agreed.
"Simiarly, the French people desire
reparations. They conceive of 1t
! mainly in its concrete form OF pay =
ments by Germany for physical DAM
age accustomed upon French territory.
! The British people also ardentlN 40
/ sire to repair tho devastation or war
! hut for them this devastation IS 10 De
interpreted in wider tcrns-in ruined
markets, in vanishing PURCHASING
power, in the decline of shipping anu
foreign trade. in fallen and fiuctuat-
ing currcncies. in unemployment.
| "Our devastated areas may be
more difficult to visualize and define ;
their reconstruction Will be less tan
giblc and more protractcd. But they
| exist for ua cruelty, as they exist Tor
France, and so long as there Is no
remedy is found. the perescnt SUI =
| fcrings and anXieties of this empire
will continue. Before we can dis
cuss this question. however, we must
clearly await the reports OF the two
: expert committees, and | do so With
the hope that they will draw your
country and mine together. | sec
no reason why this problem. IL APP
preached from it's wider aspect ana
il considered in conjunction with the
cognatc problem of intcr-allied debts,
should not at an early day he solved
in such manner as to give to Eng
land hope of economic stability In
! Europe and to France the assurance
! that her requirements will be met
Here again, If France and Eng
! land can but agree, the cooperate
, of the other European countries VIII
| he assured and it will he possible for
! Us to approach the United States.
not as debtors disputing one with
= the other but as Il united Europe
/ anxious by mutual sacrifice and ar
! arrangement TO cure the ills from
which our people are now suffering