Evening star., 1925-04-13
COOLIDGE WRONGLY
! QUOTED IN FRANCE.
French Papers Get Far From
Right View of Attitude
Eg s on Herriot.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.


President Coolidge was completely
risrepresepted by the French press
with respect to his alleged comments
on the fall of Premier Herriot Such
irritation as is reported from France
due to erroneous press reports, is
the inevita BILE result of a system
which does not maintain a single
special correspondent in Washington
for French newspapers.
Had the representatives of French
newspapers heard what Mr.. Coolidge
said they would not have been mis-
led. Most of the correspondents of
French newspapers make their head
quarters In New York and are de-
pendent on what they read in the
l'resS generally so that the version
!n1Aliy cabled is second hand. Here
Is tho Information divulged at the
White House when inquiries were
made last Friday as to whether the
President had any comment to make
on the change in the cabinet in
France:
That the President did not know
that he could very well comment on
the resignation of Premier Herriot
IN way that would be helpful to
the correspondents.
Recalls Selection
That the President recalled that
VI. Herriot came into power on the
suggestion of little more liberal
government and on a desire to ar
range some settlement with Germany
relative to reparations. Now that
was accomplished-and ii is a real
accomplishment-the President thought
II piece of work in which Premier
I'srrlot could take good deal of
satisfaction. The President judged
that NJ. Herriot had gone out of pow
er on account of the great difficulty
mat has attended French finances,
and the President noticed in the aft
ernoon newspapers the statement of
the premier that he was not to blame
ABOUT that. and that the difficulty ex-
listed before he came into power and
was not the result of his action.
Ihat the President did not know
What the effect would be on France
lie imagined it would depend more or
less on who came into power
Situation Delicate,
That the President found il difficult
TO comment about it because, of
course, it was rather delicate to say
much OF anything about it,
Inc foregoing was, of course in
10 sense a eulogy of Premier Her
riot nor any attempt TO criticize the
french for overthrowing his minis
''S' puI rather d passing ODSerNa tiOn
on the Dawes settlement, which Is
an accomplished fact and on which
messages of qualification were ex-
changed al the time between Wash
lngton and Paris
not having the background of the
remarks made here on the subject.
and not knowing that the newspaper
men always ask for comment. formal
or informal, on events happening in
Europe, the French editorial writer's
have assumed that Mr.. Coolidge went
out of his way to praise VI. Herriot
ad in sense to lament his de-
Darture. Nothing was farther from
Mir. Coohdge's mind, as he knows
tpo well how indelicate ii IS u com
fpent on a change of cabinet in
fbreign country.
I Ohcials here are anxious to learn
nst how the French press was mis-
$ed on the subject, and it may be
nat American Ambassador Herrick
f*ViH be asked to present the exact
p Nords the White House spokesman
rsed and learn the origin of tn,
Misrepresentation.
Copyright, 1921