Evening star., 1926-08-22
BY FRANK III. SIMONDS.

all the American comment upon the re-
cent amazing utterance of NJ. Clemenceau,
venture to think that the most vital part
OF its European significance has been over
looked. It has been largely treated as the ex-
preston of a citizen, eminent citizen, of
debtor nation provoked by dspleasure with
terms of payment of a war debt. 1t has seemed
one more unpleasant circumstance in a
petely unpleasant affair
But this, in my Judgment is to miss the
meaning which the letter must have for Eu-
rope Actually it is authentic and even
passionate expression Of the rapidly growing
tendency abroad to read into American action
and opinion certain very definite meanings, to
see in all later thought and performance
the revelation of purpose, of deliberate and
conscious purpose to dominate Europe by
means of our financial strength. Dollar diplo-
macy, Europe believes, is only the agent of
dollar Imperialism
OF this conception the Tigers" letter to
President Coolidge is only the most striking
example You hardly read continental
newspaper without finding some reference to
it. Moreover, 1t is the inevitable result of the
almost endless stream Of American comment
which has crossed the ocean that portion di-
reced at France undertaking to regulate the
strength of the French army the size OF the
French navy. the amount Of French expendi-
ture for defense. the policies adopted by French
sta esmen, the conduct Of French operations
in Morocco. In Syria.
Because France borrowed money from us in
a in which were a cobelligerent and
has so far failed to meet our terms of settle
ment we have asserted the right, so the French
believe, to dictate to them how they shall
duct their foreign affairs how they shall de-
fend themselves and how they shall admins
ter colonies which were theirs before the war.
in the case of Morocco More than that,
members of our Senate proposed that since
France has not paid and is not paying, a. meth
cd of adjustment would be the taking of the
French possessions in this hemisphere-St.
Pierre Miquelon, Guadeloupe Martinique and
French Guiana
Over and over again there has been the sug-
gestion: "Since your creditors and you
are not paying, you must permit us to regulate
your affairs, even your MORALS For the pro-
hibtionists have suggested that better debt
terms might be granted dry France, but that
no concessions should be made while the
French people continue to drink wine in large
quantities and presumably spend money for
it which might be used for debt payments
Now every single of these many pro-
pOsaS and suggestions constitutes invasion
of the sovereignty or rather advocates an in.
vasion of the sovereignty, of one of the oldest
and proudest peoples in the world, which has
fought for It's independence for a thousand
years. The right of selfdefense, the right to
be master of the means and the measures Of
self protection, the essential rights of any
free people.
Nations do not reduce their armies at for
eign behest, part with territories inhabited
by people who desire to continue a part of the
common fatherland, the result of defeat
in war, which leaves them unable to resist.
Moreover, they retake their freedom Of action
at the earliest moment after they recover their
physical strength. The only known method
of debating to Il nation in matters of selfde
fense is to dictate at the cannons mouth.
X *
Germany defeated France in 1870 and occu-
pied French territory until France paid in
demnity, lin that time regarded colossal.
Half a century later France is returning the
compliment. In 1915, after Napoleon fell, the
allies occupied French territory, reduced
French armaments, bent French ideas of ma
tiona security to their will. But what we are
apparently attempting to do, what it seems to
the French that trying to do, is to i'm
pose the sort of control that they asso-
ciate with defeat and helplessness by
of financial and not military means. We seem