Evening star., 1926-10-17
France and Germany Still Far From Day
OF Alliance or Even Entente COrdiale

Bear in mind always that the real entnusi'
asm for the proposed FrancoGerman oarssn,'
for the balancing of French evacuation WIN
German pa yment. Is nothing more nor less tnah
an effort to escape from the controi OF tne
United States without complying with our
terms The thing which at the outset recon-
mended the thing to the general pubic was
only partially and for the minor part cor
nected with the idea Of peace and reconchia-
ton: 1t was primarily that the mass OF French
men thought that NJ. BRAND had found way
by which France could free herself from Anglo.
Saxon financial domination, that she could
stabilize her currency without American loans'
. that she cotd regain her freedom
"If Germany give us the money 10
stabilize; II Germany can, in fact. free us, why
then the question Of freeing Germany from our
occupation becomes discussable." This was the
first popular French reaction. But the Thought
full. as contrasted with the general public, per-
ceived almost Immediately that from this point
Of view the whole project Illusion
France might withdraw her troops and obtain
German railway shares in return, but what
good would the shares be II they could not be
sold in the market capable OF absorbing
them? Germany, obviously, would get all she
desired, but what would France have in return!
But in official circles other objections arose.
Despite all public declaration, the question OF
German disarma ment has not been completely
settled to satisfy the allied commission There
are new forts and new guns at koenigsberg, so
it is alleged. There Is an even more practical
question growing out of the fact that as con-
sequence Of French reliance upon the period OF
occupation not single step has been taken
to fortify French frontiers. the new frontiers.
The system which covered the old frontiers
before 1914 was obsolete then and has de-
terora ted since. The German fortifications In
Alsace- lorraine were directed against France
and open on the German side. Can any French
IA Ike he reSnOnSibility OF eVaCua-
tion while the road to Paris remains open! At
least there Is a question.
Reyond and behind lie whole mass of far
more technical questions, questions OF coal de-
liveries questions Of detail or of large impors
tance which have arisen will arise under the
Dawes plan None Of them is perhaps too seri-
Gus for solution but every thoughtful French
man perceives that the cards in his hands will
have been fatally diminished. If he postpones
negotia tions on these points until after evacua-
ton.
Finally there is a general objection which
at the moment gains weight throughout
France. The rather incomprehensible speech
of Stresemann at Geneva, just before he left,
certainly reused an instant storm in France.
1t was a clear and definite catalogue of Ger
man expectations. Germany expected evacua-
ton of the Rhireland, she expected suppression
of the Saar plebiscte. she expected French as
sent to the repurchase of Eupen and Malmedy
from Belgium. There were other quite obvious
hints which could not be mistaken. But" said
the observant Frenchman, 'this is no more and
no less than the total destruction OF the treaty
of Versailles" Nor was there less disquiet and
protest at the bold words of Stresemann. which
announced that the admission of Germany into
the League was in itself testimony to the fact
that the enemies of the had abandoned the
old charge written into the treaty Of Versailles
that the responsibility for the war was German.
Continued on Fifteenth Page)