Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11

AL fJdyII1UUU I-UulCdIG aLOdp'
peared from public life with hi:
crushing political defeat 1r
l. i 1924 he would unquestionably
have been remembered quite
unjuStly as one of the men chiefly re-
sponsible for the war and more exactly
as the invader of the Ruhr. Thus he
would have been associated with two
acts Of violence equally disastrous for
France and for Europe.
Fortunately for the former president,
however, In 1925. at the moment Of i'm
pending financial ruin. France again
turned to him and he now quits the
Quai d'Orsay after three years of ex-
hausting labor. assured henceforth of
the renown that belongs TO the patriot
who has restored French solvency at
home and French credit abroad. That
his country is today the most pros
porous In all Of Europe is due almost
uniquely TO his achievement.
Nor is IT. less interesting to note the
changed circumstances under which he
turns over the reins to BRAND. In 1922.
during the conference Of Cannes. when
BRAND was seeking to bring about an
adjustment Of French and British pol
icies and thus prepare the way for
the restoration OF peace in Europe,
Poincare, by a sudden political ma
newer in Paris. brought down the
BRAND ministry and came to power.
But two years later at the general
election Poincare's opponents triumphed
and BRAND as foreign minister and
then as premier was able to accomplish
at Locsrno what had been impossible
at Cannes.
Fatally, however. the financial chaos
in France led to disaster In the Sum-
mer of 1926 the franc seemed about &c
follow the mark and there were panic
on the Bourse and disorder in the
streets Of Paris. Under such circum-
stances. Poincare succeeded BRAND
once more. But this time the change
preceded as Il was by an interregnum OF
vain efforts to form a viable ministry
out Of the leaders OF the parties that
had endorsed Poincare involved no per-
sonal political strife between Poincare
and BRAND.
Locarno Proved BRAND.
On the contrary. Brands achieve
nent at Locarno and Geneva in bring
ing about at least detente If not a
reconciliation between France and Ger
many was too successful to admit OF
question, and henceforth the Breton was
to be practically an independent foreign
minister In the cabinet headed by the
Lorrainer. whose portfolio was that OF
finance. While the policy of peace was
pursued abroad. the task of reorganiza.
ton was undertaken at home.
And it is an interesting example
Of the marvellous fashion in which the
French people have been able to adjust
their parliamentary democracy to theil
own peculiar political circumstance:
that they can without the upheava
or disturbance Of an election turn from
the man who was necessary to save tn.
. franc to the statesman today needed
to complete the task OF the peaceful
liquidation of the last debris Of IN,
war.
For what has now to be done /.
not to procure the international adop-
ton of the Young plan-for as far As
France is concerned this job Is COM
pleted-but to complete the evacuation
of Germany. to put Franco-Germar
relations on sound basis: in word
to reconcile the insistent and unacceptable
demand OF all the German people that
the armies Of their commemorative
symbol Of defeat and the continuine
instruments Of national humiliatio
be withdra wn, with the equally unani-
nous and uncompromisine demand Of
the French people that such evacuation
snail De without preJudlce 10 theil
security.
Germany Felt Confident.
We have confidence in the France
of M. BRAND" Stresemann once saic
in the Reichstag at a significant
moment. and to whatever extent Ger
man enthusiasm born of the Locarnc
episode has cooled. it remains true thai
BRAND is still the Frenchman in whom
the Germans have the greatest measure
of confidence and with whom as 6
consequence they can negotiate mos
easily. BRAND, too, has only recently
given further proof Of the development
OF an international as contrasted with
a national mind. by publicly proposinl
the economic realization of the dream
of United States of Europe.
The return of BRAND thus great!
fortifies France at the moment wher
foreign policy becomes the vital con