Evening star., 1926-10-17
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

@ARIS.-Returning to Paris after certain
- time spent in Berlin. in Geneva and
along the old frontier of Alsace, nothing
is more striking than to see the almost
unbelievable lengths to which the press OF Paris
and Of the world at large has carried the dis
cussion Of the consequence of the Geneva meet
ing itself. and Of it's actual climax. which was
not the entrance of Germany, but the lunch Of
BRAND and Stresemann in the foothills of the
French Iura.
years of hatred and strife to be terminated
the consequence of words spoken at brief
luncheon? Or. as one clever Frenchman put 1t
to me. Has the diplomacy of the lunch re-
placed that of the embassies? Above ALL what
does this present episode mean what Is real.
what is ina ginary, what is possible?'
To begin at the beginning, it is necessary
to lay aside all false conceptions as to the ex
act status of the proposed Franco-German en-
tente not to the word alliance prema turely.
Nothing has been DONE nothing agreed to, moth
ing has happened except that two foreign min
isters--Only the German actually all-pOwerful
In his own country-have over their coffee cups
agreed that it would be good for their two coun-
tries for the two worlds. If the past and present
difficulties could be liquidated.
Now the isis Of possible bargain is almost
too obvious. France has the right under the
treaty Of Versailles to maintain troops In Ger
many and between the Rhine and the French
frontier for nine years more. She has also the
right to insist upon plebiscite in the Saar area
to decide whether the people of the region wish
to he German. French or independent under
League tutelege. Finally, France owns all the
coal mines of the Saar outright.
Germany desires to free her own soil forth
with. to avoid the delay and vexation of
pebiscite, although every one knows 1t would
go her way. She wants to be master In her
own territory at once. and she holds that. now
that the Locarno pacts are established, now
that French security is guaranteed by Britain,
Germany and measureably by the League itself.
the presence Of the troops is superf1uous. is In
reality defiance of the spirit of Locarno.
Ought not the troops to go without discussion?
Or might it be possible. given the present sit
uation of France financially. to find a way OF
mobilizng eventual reparati payments under
the Dawes plan and turning this money over to
Erance at once?
The transac action is all here. Can Germany
find way to provide France with funds which
wilr let France win clear from her present
financial crisis and stabilize her franc? Would
France against such contribution, agree to end
her occupation of the Rhineland. and in return
for price sell to the Germans the coal mines
of the Saar and bandon the Saar well? In
1870 France hasened her payments of the Ger
man indemnity and Germany FASTENED her
evacution of French territory; there Is the
precedent
Three things certainly would press the
French toward such an arrangement. First.
profound weariness and universal desire for
peace. Second the gravest sort of disillusion-
ment and even resentment toward the allies OF
Yesterday particularly the United States and
Great Britain become the exigent creditors of
today. Were it possible to escape dependence
upon British and American loans and credits