Evening star., 1927-11-13

politics France Is unmistak-
ably drifting toward renewal
i of the combination of the
radicals and Socialists, which
won the last election, and in two
years brought domestic affairs OF
France to chaos, it is not less clear
that French opinion Is passing
through a period of marked reaction
against the policy Of Locarno, which
was the chief radical suc-
cess.
It is still hardly more than year
since BRAND and Stresemann met In
the remote Jura village OF Thoiry.
From the conversations Of that meet
ing emerged the program Of Thoiry.
which was no more nor less than the
liquidation of all secular Franco-Ger-
man quarrels and the commencement
Of a new period of cooperation.
At the basis of the Thoiry project
was the proposal for the issue by Ger
many of vast volume of securities
founded upon the German State Rail-
way system. The securities were to
be marketed abroad. The proceeds in
large part were to be turned over
to France. This money would solve
the French financial crisis. In return
France was to hasten the evacuation
Of the occupied region Of the Rhine
land.
Retreat From ThOiry."
The year which has followed might
perhaps exactly be described as the
retreat from Thoiry."
The financial proposals fell through
because it proved impossible to ar
range for marketing the securities.
French necessities were removed by
| Poincare's successful handling of the
franc crisis. And political develop
ments within Germany alarmed
French public opinion and stimu-
lated opposition to evacuation OF the
| Rhineland.
This new turn in German politics
began almost Immediately after the
| return Of Stresemann to Berlin. Under
| the influence of Hindenburg, the
cabinet crisis which followed the
Geneva session was solved by the
| formation of new coalition In which
| the German Nationalists were per-
mitted to play dominating part. Con.
| troll of Germany thus passed for the
| first time from the hands of the
Democratic and Bourgeois parties,
| which, since the revolution of 1919. had
| supported the republic.
This new coalition was represented
abroad as victory for the. Republic
and Locarno. But unhappily this
assertion found contradiction from the
very outset in the words and deeds
| of the Nationalists. The speeches OF
Count Westarp, their leader, disclosed
| that what the Nationalists accepted
pro forma they repudiated in princi'
| pie.
ApprehensiOns Increase.
French apprehensions. Immediately
| excited, were steadily increased until
| the moment, still recent, when Hinden'
burg's Tannenberg speech produced q
| tremendous explosion in Paris and
| throughout France.
In French eyes, a German repudia-
! ton of all responsibility for the war
was decisive step toward the demand
| for q revision Of all the peace treaty,
| and to overturn not merely the f1nan-
cial but the territorial clauses of
Versailles. It carried menace to all
! the political systems in Europe and
| brought the Dawes plan into grave
| danger.
Moreover. the Tannenberg Grafton
was associated in the French mind
with the recent demonstration Of the
| German war veterans in Berlin, which
| Ildu DeCIl accomplished Dy eApESSSlOIl5
of hate and desire for revenge. And
| in the same way 1t was viewed in con-
nection with the campaign for
Anschluss; that Is, for the union of
Austria with Germany. which had
been proceeding steadily.
Was Germany then. after all. be-
hind the cover of Locarno and the dis
guise Of smooth words spoken at
Geneva, seeking to destroy the whole
result of the World War?
Was the argument Of French Lib.
erals and Radicals, the declaration
that there were two Germanys, a new
and an old. and that the new was
peaceful and dominant, sheer stu
pidity?
Was BRAND a Dupe?
Was BRAND the mere dupe of
Stresemann and was the old Germany
preparing a new attack behind this
now transparent disguise of the new?
These interrogations found ready
expression in the press. If they found
less ready acceptance on the part of
the Frenchmen who had made
Locarno. at the least the German
phenomena awakened grave doubts.
profound distrusts. II there was still
belief in the conception Of two Ger.
manys, It at least seemed clear that
for the moment the old had triumphed