Evening star., 1927-10-16
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its economic prosperity? If Europe
attempts to thwart it, Europe shall
Enow neither financial assistance nor
that moral support OF which Ameri'
can orators so customarily talk.
Liberalism is obviously not the way
to gain the respect of the great
American democracy. Tardieu ap
parently has appreciated how little
sympathy America has shown toward
any of the European liberals. Ram
say Macdonald and Edouard Herriot
are today almost ignored in America.
while MusSolini has captiyated the
American imagination.
Americas respect, Tardieu con-
cludes. seems chiefly reserved for ma.
terialism and for economic success. 1t
has long been her pride--a just pride
in the eyes of thinkers like James
Bryce-that she has given to man a
maximum of well-being. This ma
terial progress was one of the forms of
her idealism, her aim and mission.
More than ever in the triumph of
achievement that has followed the
war has she made cult out of It,.
More than one hundred million lunan
beings believe in all good faith that
they are better than the men of other
lands because they have made them
selves happier. The principal thing
that they demand of their leaders is
successful stewardship of that happi-
ness.
These. Tardieu says, are the stand.
ards America has set for herself. Be-
lieving them to be good. she points to
them proudly before the world. What
should the response of the rest of the
world be TO such an attitude?
For his own country, at least,
Tardieu lays down a program. If that
program, or the spirit of 1t, should be
adopted now or in the near future no
one In this country can say that we
were not frankly forwarned. In brief,
Tardieu says in dealing with Ameri-
cans be just as American as they are.
Again, let me quote him:
"Frenchmen face an imperative; if
they would deal with America, they
must first borrow, not American dol.
lars. but American optimism and
American love of achievement Let
us make no mistake about it: the
reason why France has forfeited
America S respect is that, from the
Winter Of 1919 to the Summer of 1926.
we have never succeeded in anything,
or. to be mare accurate. we have hid.
den our rare successes beneath the
volume of recriminations. Just one
instance; the amazing reconstruction
of our devastated regions by our own
unalded resources might have height
ened us in American esteem We
went about 1t in such a way that the
aUnited States remembers only the
justified criticism to which reconstruc-
ton gave rise.
We pass for wasters So long as
we do. we shall neither be listened to
nor respected; for America loves sue.
cess. Before influencing America. one
must be capable OF action. In order
TO deal with her the prestige of sue
cess Is essential. To negotiate we must
put ourselves on a footing of equality,
But equality presupposes frankness.
ano, Tor years, our relations with the
United States have been purified by
the abasement we have displayed. One
often hears the United States blamed
Tor Its brutal plain speaking. / hold,
after manv negotiations with Ameri-
cans. that such plain speaking is
heaithful. on condition that one speaks
plainly in reply"
X X X
Tardieu has practiced the plain
speech which he advocates. He saws
little of the effort France has made to
meet America on what he terms a
Footing of equality. But one reads
his words in light OF the knowledge
that the stabilization of the franc at
around cents, that crowning achieve.
ment of the Poincaire government, of
which Tardieu himself is an illustrious
member. was accomplished since Au-
gust. 1925, through the erection and