Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28
FRENCH MONEY POLICIES
DEFENDED BY .JUSSERAND
Former Ambassador Contradicts Opin-
ions as to Expenditures and Hopes
for Debt Payment.
BY JULES JUSSERAND.

Former Ambassador From France to tn,
| United States.
TN my distant retreat, far from the
country where | spent the 20
most important years of my life,
! reports reach me, some CHEEKY,
some gloomy.
! The CHEEKY ones concern the United
States themselves: and no one, there
or anywhere else, rejoices more heart
lily than l. Prosperity Is on the In
! crease, the surplus for the past year
was $3.50, 900, 000 and. in spite of a
bonus beyond the dreams of our own
veterans, 1925 will have a still larger
one.
The debt has Been reduced during
the fiscal year by $735. 900, 900; owing
to improved methods. American bust
ness is saving $500 900 900 a year;
, owing to "A better understanding of
I their interests, the masses are saving,
too, the number of savings banks de
positors being presently $4,000 900.
| There is a motor vehicle for every
/ five white inhabitants; wages are on
the increase; wholesale prices for COM
modities are on the decrease. Never
! have the many been able to lead such
enjoyable lives.
| More respected than ever on &C
count of what she did in 1917-1S,
| America has no enemies. Trespa Ssers
against right, abettors of autocracy
know now that Americans are not i'm
mersed in material interests. with no
thought but for matters of trade and
finance. The States entered the war
re iectng in advance all thought of
profit, but they acquired the advan-
tage of being better known for what
they are, gain more valuable than
any mandate over any province.
Gloom Regarding France.
The gloomy reports concern France
! The good she has done is apparently
considered by some as of the past and
having but a historic interest. like the
deeds of Charlemagne. All the old
accusations against her, time and
, again refuted with new ones super
added. are being actively spread by
some unfriendly spirits, who say that
though she is wealthy, France is un
dertaxed; she spends fantastic sums
for an army useless except for impe
REALISTIC purposes: she Is therefore un
able and unwilling to pay her debts
and should be branded as a defaulter
she tramples the poor Riffians under
foot and refuses Syrians their longed
for independence. No nation more
]
even to show that she Is not. after all
so innocent as she pretends as to the
war of 1914.
One might have thought that q SUI
ficient answer would have been the
half century of peace maintained by
us not without sacritice-aS when thu
Kaiser. landing at Tangiers. Offered
his protection to the Sultan of Mo
rocco. putting in Jeopardy Algerian
| n
longer than California has been Amer
lean. We accepted. on the suggestion
| of Mr. Roosevelt, the idea of q con
ference, and. owing to our attitude
and to this first considerable Ameri
can intervention in international mat
tiers, war was averted Q905-6).
Defense Forces Cut.
If they had had anything wortl
while to accuse us of when they de
clared war on France, the Germans
would have said so then-instead o
inventing such tales as a lombard
ment of Nuremberg by our airplaneS
of which no Nuremberg paper hat
made any mention 1t is to the Credi
of the Ambassador who was ordered
to declare war on us for such causes
Baron Won Schoen-that he wrote il
his memoirs: THAT my name he tiet
, to grave mistake. which took TIL
appearance of a lie, is the most pain
full memory of my career" The rea
, truth is found in the blunt answe
made one day at Charleville by Gen
Won Kessler to an America
diplomat: I'VE declared war becaus
we were ready and the others wer
not" An ominous statement
| We cannot afford to be again I'm
ready. Our military needs are in
, creased by the geographic neceSSit
, for us to have covering troops =
that is, entertained and ever-read,
ones, to bar the frontier in case o
attack. back of which mobilization
may take place. A country that ha
between herself and any possible
, enemy covering forces consisting o
. 5000 miles of water on one side an,
1000 on the other knows no sucl
needs. We have nevertheless dimin
, ished the total of our defense force
. by nearly one-half since 1913 an,
. spend much less for defense than tn
United States, who have no enemies
and then the British, whose countr.
is "set in the silver sea-
National Defense Figures.
Listening recently to a lecture de
livered by the chief of our staff,
noted the following figures on expen
ditures for national defense-all il
: gold francs:
1914. 1925
, France tncludinc colonies
2.150, 600 600 FIR. 1888, 900 600 Fl
, 0"''e" sii1,ss6, 900 600 $500. 900 600
Great Britain india included. Dominion
: 2.7Oo. 900 900 $500 900 600
, Thus while we diminish our defens
: }expenses by almost one-half. tn
United States more than doubled their
and the English total il nearly tire
: times as high as ours. As to whiCI
we do not complain or lecture any
, body Our detractors. however. do no
. care. and continue to denounce w a
the militaristic nation of the worl'
/, There is an Iinvincible force the
|. know, in an oft-repeated misstate
= ment
But with all that" some say to us
: your army Uhe number Of whicl
they kindly magnify is the stronges
: in the world" Surprising II TO be Sc
: why not? If there Is any nation wit
| better reasons to be on the watch
please name her. If we had Canada n
: for our neighbors we would glad
reduce our army to naught: but W
have instead nation who. causing
: thereby the greatest enthusiasm. ha
> solemnly resworn at The Hague i
1907 not to do what she did in 1915
e and who has lately selected to lea
e her in the paths of peace Marshal vo
> Hindenburg.
+ If some Mexican chieftain invade
| Texas YOU would, it is to be supposed
! expel him, and we should certainly nc
: call YOU militaristic. imperialistic o
[ any other name.
e In Syria, a country which Frenc
( | expedition in the Cos saved from tn
terrible fate which has since befalle
Armenia. mistakes have of late bee
made: let those who never made an
: in f,eaIiDV with such problems cas-