Evening star., 1924-05-20

So far as the American press views
It the result of the French election
lies chiefly in the effects which the
probable elimination of the National
lists from power will have on the set
tlement of the reparation problem.
Many editors feel that local issues,
such as increased taxation and the
decline of the franc, had more to do
with the defeat of NJ. Poincare than
did international questions and that
there will be no essential change in
French policies. Yet the result en-
courages the hope of an early settle
ment of the European deadlock and
acceptance of the Dawes plan, they
say.
In the opinion of the Roanoke
world-News there are at least two
things to be expected of the new gov
ernment-a less definite and less rigid
policy and greater amenability to
reason than characterize the Polncare
regime" The St Paul Pioneer-Press
declares the essentials of French
foreign policy will not change" but
moderation has won on both sides
of the Rhine" and the way to the
execution of the Dawes plan, the
Columbus Dispatch holds, may prove
No matter who heads the govern
ment. continues the Indianapolis
News, "the government will be able
to move forward on the lines OF the
Dawes report with the consclousnes;S
that it has the support of the people"
If the coalition majority in the new
French chamber have, as reported,
platform of peace. economy ana
international agreement the To-
peka Capital considers, the whole
ha of a
in the French elections. IL II
"makes toward peace, toward friend
illness, toward anything that recog.
niZes the brotherhood of the races,
nothing less than clear gain for
the world" Poincare's defeat, ac-
cording to the Lincoln Star, can
mean nothing more than slight tenn
porary delay in clearing up the prop
lens connected with the reparatlon
matter"
The Louisville Courier Journal
thinks the radicals taking over the
reins Of government lis no bad omen
for peaceful settlement Oft Euro
pean muddle," because there Will
now be no reason for timidity; the
past can be broken away from with
out fear of losing prestige" There
fore, France is expected now to CO.
operate rather than to see how far
she can limit the Dawes plan," sug-
eests the Milwaukee Journal, and
this throws an even greater respon-
sibility on the world to cooperate
with her" After all, the Boston
Transcript points out, the French
people, whether radicals or conserva-
1J1yE q
when they see it."
The significant thing. the Omaha
World-Hearld claims, is that 1T re-
veals, in France as elsewhere, a re-
vulsion against war and international
hatred on the part of the common
people" The Portland Express aues-
tions whether the overthrow of Poin-
care will in the end work out for the
benefit of France, because it may
ernment to further resistance. For,
as the Lincoln State Journal puts it,
"the junkers, unfortunately, cannot
be counted upon to distinguish mild,
ness from weakness.
The Atlanta Journal answers, 'Tf any
group of Germany takes this to mean
that France has weakened in her in
sistence upon reparatlons, it will be
stupidity mistaken" because, far
a more practicable way to get that to
which she has not yet attained" This
is indorsed by the Cleveland Plain
Dealer. The. views Of the New Or
leans Times-P -Picayune, the Cincinnati
Times-Star and the Kansas City Jour
nal may be summed up in the words
of the latter, which says cit may be
taken for granted that the excessive
domestic taxation which is insepara-
bly, linked up with the foreign poll
cies was one of the strongest weap-
ons in the hands of the governments
opponents" and certainly the cleo
ton cannot reasonably be construed
as any material change in the anti