The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-25
POINCARE STAND
CREATES WORRY
FOR DIPLOMATS
Premier Charges Germany
With Bad Faith in
Settlement.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps-How Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, June 25.-IS Pre-
mier Raymond Poincare Of France
going to prove another Napoleon III?
Is he trying to arouse French
passions to war pitch and lead the
country into another and this time
perhaps fatal war with Germany In
the hope of crushing this traditional
enemy forever?
What does Poincare want?" the
German foreign minister, Strese-
mann, exclaimed bitterly in the
Reichstag this week, by way of
answer TO the French premiers
charges at Luneville Monday.
What does he want-the Ruhr
or Locarno? He cannot have both"
Stresemann was referring to Poin-
cares speech charging Germany
with bad faith in carrying out post
war settlements. He intimated that
Germany has not yet definitely
given up Alsace and Lorraine; that
she maintains a growing camou-
haged army; that she intends to
renege on future Dawes plans
reparations payments; and 80 on.
France Doesn't Forget
Further he paraded all tie
suffering France had endtn
throughout the war and plainly
told his hearers that he does not
expect France to forget. To the
contrary.
So Stresemann asks What does
he want?" and in other chancel-
lories of the world diplomats are
asking pretty much the same ques-
ton. And people are asking it.
What kind Of a man is Poincare?
Is he trying to stir up another
WARP"
The answer is emphatically no. I
have known Premier Poincare for
fifteen years and no man wants war
less than he does. In fact, that is
where the trouble lies-in the pre-
mier's dread of another German in
vasion.
Raymond Poincare was born in
Lorraine. His boyhood was spent
close TO the German frontier, next
to Frances "lost provinces" taken
in 1871 after the cataclysmic de-
feat of Napoleon III, who had
pushed unready France into war
with Prussia. He grew up among
historic battlefelds, scenes Of Ger
man victories over a bleeding
France. 4~i
Sees German Balk
Bone of his bone and flesh Of his
flesh, his hatred and fear Of Ger,
many have become part of the man.
Today he sees Germany growing
strong again and showing signs OF
baking over the terms of the treaty
of Versailles. He sees French popu-
lation at a standstill-around 49,
100000. He sees Germany growing
fast-60, 100000 today. with an enor-
nous crop of new babies every year.
He sees France ruined by the war,
head over heels IN debt, with little
chance of ever getting out. He sees
Germany being let of as per the
Dawes plan and believes she does
not intend to pay even that. He
hears peace talk going on IN Eu-
rope. but he visualizes secret army
preparing for der tag" again In
Germany with another invasion OF
France in mind. AM he is bitter.
And afraid.
Paradoxically enough. Premier
Ponicare has for foreign minister
none other than Aristide BRAND,
"the man of Locarno. In France
people call him that. the man OF
Lacarno2the man of peace" While
others call Poincare "the man OF
the Ruhr-the man Of war;"
Both Want Peace
The fact OF the matter is. both
want peace. They are simply SEEK
ing it in Numerically opposite di-
rections. Poincare believes it can
only be preserved by keeping Ger
many weak and France strong.
BRAND believes the only way Is fby
agreement, such as that Of LacArno
by the cultivation of mutual I'M
Outstanding and friendship. Only
Frances desperate circumstances
make it possible for the two to be
In the same cabinet. Not only pos
sible, but necessary. for French
unity now is vital to prevent A.
nancial and economic disaster.
Poincare Is Bismarcktan-though
he'd murder anybody who told him
so. BRAND is Wilsonian. Poincare
is one of the ablest statesmen in
Europe. but too cynical. He wouldn't
trust a small boy with an anvil,
BRAND. also able. is more liberal
and, at heart, even idealistic--
though ten terms as premier Of
France have made him as practical
as a ten-penny nail.
Poincare is hard to like. He
difficult to approach. He is cold.
private he talks in a very low tonSS
so low it is difficult sometimes b
catch what he says. On the stump
he becomes a flaming torch. Super
f1cially he appears almost colorless.
He made a colorless president
principally. however. because OF
constitutional and traditional limita-
tons. But he is as stubborn as
Clemenceau and inside of him there
seethes the volcanic lava of I'M
quenchable, nationalistic passions.
BRAND Not Extremist
BRAND is warmer, easier to know.
He is fond of a good story, even
when the joke is on himself. Born
in mining district. reared in an
atfnosphere of sweat. and having