Evening star., 1924-03-02
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.
THE whole French continental
policy SO carefully builded by
POiucare to collanSe?

S THE whole French continental
policy SO carefully builded by
Poipcare to collapse?
This question springs to the
| fore by virtue of the resignation of
the cabinet of Belgium, for Belgium.
| under Premier Theunis. has been
; the chief support of French ambi-
| tions.
; Many things, all tending to rear
! range the warp and woof OF conti-
/ mental governmental policies, may be
, governments. though to the casual
i observer it means nothing but cri-
sis in the nations domestic affairs.
But this resignation is but another
! move in the general determination of
| the liberal schools of political thought
| in various nations to discard the gen.
| eral tendency of old school states
I craft to maintain strictly national
| isttc desires to the exclusion of gem
(, eral policies looking toward the veal
of all peoples.
| With the people of Europe. partic-
ularly the socialists. who more and
! more are impressing their viewpoint
/ on things generally, demanding tha t
there be a quick end to economic
| stagnation, there has been d general
veering toward solution of those
! problems perpetuating social, finan-
| cial and economic unrest and it may
be said that outside of the assump-
ton of power in England by the la
borites the resignation of the The
unts cabinet Is the greatest single
| step taken in any country in express
! sion Of the demands that something
be done and that the obstacles to
peace and economic advance be re-
moved.
| Theunis Aid to Poincare.
Cnquestionably Premier Theunis of
Belgium has been looking through
French ground spectacles ever since
Poincare took the reins in Paris.
Poincare's wishes have been his
wishes and as 4 result the Quai d
Orsay in Paris had but to suggest
any plan tending toward cooperative
iendeavor in the application of strictly
French viewpoint in things interna-
! tional. and Belgium complied. France
and Belgium have stood together in
iinterallied conferences and frequent
;ly have firmly resisted the desires of
| England and Italy in settlement Of
problems presented and as frequently
have baked the efforts of England
and Italy to prevent the extension OF
french 1nHuenCe among the smaller
nations of Europe. Belgium cham
pioned the French militarist scheme
of occupation of the Ruhr and en-
icouragement of the separation of the
Rhineland, and in every move made
to reach an adjustment of the rep
arations problem Premier Theunis
has always said AYE" to Poincare
proposals advancing the interests OF
France. AS consequence of this
it always has been impossible for
;either Italy or England to resist the
French and Belgians maintaining
status quo on the Rhine.
But as France as suffered the re-
suits of the occupation of the Rhine
regions this, Notwithstanding the
protestations of Poincare to the con-
trary, Belgium has suffered.
Belgians Past Policies.
Through past decades Belgium al.
ways sought to pursue an independ.
ent course in continental affairs ant
remain on equally good terms wifi
Germany, England and France. A.
a consequence Belgium prosperet
during the days before the war. Nc
one particular national interest was
favored over another, though it must
be admitted that Notwithstanding
sentimental and language ties with
France. Belgiums. greatest share OF