Evening star., 1924-03-03
Macdonald F0ll0,us Footsteps
Of Wilson in Note to France

Note to France
I even collective guarantees and super
vision. or by some other means. is a
matter for careful consideration In
s"it is a matter. I believe. in which
the league Of nations. both by dis
| cussion and eventual action might
| in support Of which the assent and
| good VIII Of every European country
would have to be enlisted. But 1t ts q
| policy. which can only be initiated II
| France and England are agreed.
DiverKencies Of Damages.
! "Similarly the French people desire
reparations, They conceive Of 1t
| ments by Germany for physical dam
! age occasfoned upon French terri
| tory. The British people also ardent
ly desire totfepair the; devastation Of
| war. but Tor them this devastation Is
| to be- Interpreted in wider trms-in
ruined markets, in vanishing purchas-
Ing power. in the decline Of shinpping
! and foreign trade, in fallen and fiuct-
| uattng currencies. in unemployment.
| Our devastated areas may be more
reconstruction will be less tangible
! and more protracted. But they exist
| for us cruelty. as they exist for
France. and SO long as no remedy is
found the present sufferings and
anxieties Of this empire will contin-
J ue.
, Before we can discuss this ques-
| ton, however. We must clearly await
the reports OF the two expert commit
! tees. and I do so with the hope that
| they Will draw your country and
mine together. I see no reason why
this problem. If approached from its
wider aspect and If considered In con-
junction with the cognate problem OF
interaliied debts. should not on an
early day be solved in such a manner
| as to give to England hope OF eco
J nomic' stability in Europe, and TO
France the assurance that her just
| requirements will be met.
Holds Cnity Essential.
Here again. IL France and England
| can but agree the cooperation Of the
| other European countries will be as
s0red and II will be possible for US to
| approach the United States. not as
! debtors disputing one with the other,
but as the united Europe, anxious by
mutual sacrifice and arrangement TO
cure the ills from which our people
are now suffering.
'1t is on such a basis that I should
wish to discuss with you our out
standing problems. If we can achieve
agreement on the main principles
! which inspire us, and il these princi-
pies can be explained to our respec-
tive peoples and to the public opinion
/ of the world. then 1 have little doubt
cate and thorny though they have
become, will not prove impossible Of
solution.
IF on the other hand we allow our
selves to become entangled in mass
OF discussions around such situations
and problems as the RGhr. the Rhine
land and the Palatinate. then our ul-
innate objects will again become OBJ
structed and We shall relapse into the
old wearisome round of controversy
and aitercation on points that may
be important. but are not funda-
mental.
Must Have Joint Action.
"It is in the hope of avoiding any
such retrograde movement that I
have endeavored in this letter to in
dtcate what I consider TO be the
essentials Of the problems. / repeat.
Of Europe can only. I feel convinced.
! be remedied by joint action between
| France and England. undertaken with
full sympathy for their respective re-
auirements and with wise regard for
| the interests Of the world at large.
For such cooperation I am fully pre-
pared
Premier Poincare. after assuring Mr..
Macdonald OF his full agreement with
his review. says:
mo more than you do wish at this
stage to enter into too much detail,
or formulate concrete proposals. But
1 am anxious to assure you that l
am ready to begin with you an ex-
problems. and I shall enter upon this
examination in that spirit of concilia- :
ton and loyalty with which you your
self are animated.
Aims Of France.
II think that with mutual good
will we should succeed. without too
much difficulty, in dispelling the re-
grettable Observation-Disclosures which
have arisen between the two coun-
tries
Ever since the signature OF the
peace treaty France has been OBJ
sessed by two legitimate preocupa-
t.ons. She aims at the restoration
mite establishment Of her security.
On her side Great Britain. whose eco
nomic life has been profoundly dis
turbed by the war. desires above all
else the revival Of the European
markets. the general resumption of
work and stable international rela-
tions.
Far from being irreconcilable, the
interests and desires Of our two
countries are altogether in harmony
and both can only be satisfied by the
same means. When we demand our
reparations and our security we are
not giving way to narrow, selfish
create the conditions of durable
peace In Europe. Without that
peace founded on justice the COM
mercial and industrial life which
England wishes to see reborn would
| unfortunately not be possible.
"On the other hand, the day France
is indemnified for her ruins and shell
nent will. have great likelihood of
| gaining tranquility.
Wants Germans Prosperous.
! Those OF your fellow countrymen
(, who believe that France dreams or
/ has dreamed of the physical or eco
nomic annihilation of Germany are
, mistaken. AS the creditor Of Ger
many France is not so mad as to
wish to reduce her debtor to poverty.
! 1t is in the interests of France that
Germany should work, produce and
| recuperate, and if France does not
| mean this recovery to develop into
hegemony she has not, SO far as
! che herself is concerned. any Interior
motive Of continental supremacy,
NO more does she harbor the am
| bilious designs which are sonnet times
attributed to her in England and
, which are In contradiction of all the
principles of democratic republic. No
! reasonable Frenchman ever dreamed
OF annexing a particle OF German
into a French citizen. At no time,
either during tho peace negotiations
or since, has any pretention Of this
nature been put forward. France,
who fought side by side with Eng
land for the liberty of nations. is as