Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
FRANCE CHANGES
SECURITY POLICY
Turns From World Peace
Movements to Stimulate
Own SeIf-ReIiance.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

in the French state OF mind. the SMELL
shock of fear caused by the World War
seems to be vanishing. The will to
insure Frances security above all else
is as strong as ever, but more and more,
instead of hoping to realize this security
mainly by international peace agree
ments, France seems determined hence
forth to rely mainly on its own strength
and on that of its allies.
The French people are disillusioned.
They have begun to believe that the
rest of the world does not sincerely
favor organization of the world for
peace. At the same time they are i'm
pressed by the increasing solidity of
their own position. A whole series of
what might be called Frances new
self-reliance policies is the result. These
embrace:
New French Policies.
I. Complete renovation and strength
ening of the French Navy.
2. Probable reorganization of the
'army for the purpose of increasing not
its numbers, but its immediate eff
Cl6nCy. 1HG SIduQ UuduSuNeIS
will be held this Fall in Lorraine will
comprise over $4,000 men, largest num-
Der assembled anywhere since the World
War.
8. Fertilization on the most modern
principles of the entire French from
tier from the North Sea to the Mediter-
ranean.
4. Tightening of the system of al
nances which group France with Bel
IL
vakia and JugoSlavia. The French air
minister and group of officers have
lust paid an important visit to Poland.
CZechoslovakia has just held a series of
big air maneuverS. Rumania, Jugo-
slavia and Czechoslovakia are conclud-
ing series of important commercial
agreements with France and with one
another, in which Poland also will
perhaps join later.
No French Unemployment.
8. Development OF colonies. A project
II being studied for what, If built, will
be one of the greatest railroads in the
world, line from Algeria to the Niger
right across the Sahara Desert, thus
uniting French Equatorial and French
North Africa.
6. Continuous strengthening of
Frances economic and financial posi-
ton. No country in the world thus far
has withStood the present great eco
nomic depression better than France.
There still is virtually no unemploy-
ment here. French currency today is
the strongest in the world. French
gold reserves are twice Great Brittain's,
second only to those of the United
States, and per capita they are the
highest in the world.
French policy since the World War
has been entirely consistent. The great
aim was and is in France-Security.
It is not the aim that is changing, but
the means.
The original French plan was to in
sure French security by insuring in
series of vast agreements the security
of the whole world. At the same time
pending this peaceful organization of
the world, France sought other safe
guards in the so-called French group
of alliances and in the careful cultiva-
ton of good relations with other great
powers.
Peace Pacts and Proposals.
This organization of the world was
sought in long series of pacts and
proposals, encompassing the following:
!. The covenant of the League of
Nations, which France desired to
strengthen.
2. The Geneva protocol, destined to
strengthen the covenant.
3. The Locarno treaties, intended as
Q partial substitute for the protocol,
which was torpedoed by Great Britain.
4. The Kellogg pact. intended as an
instrument to bring the United States
In some way into the general peace
movement.
5. A Mediterranean pact, proposed by
France to Italy and Great Britain prior
20 and during the London Naval Con-
kxNrf 49,
8. An Eastern European Locarno,
mooted frequently at Paris, but refused
consistently by Berlin.
Z. Proposals at the London Naval
Conference to redefine and so strengthen
Article 10 Of the League Covenant.
8. The BRAND disposal for a Euro
pean Union, which will be discussed at
Geneva in September.
Sought Rapprochments.
In addition, France has at various
times sought rapprochments with Great
Britain, the United States, Italy and
Germany.
After 10 years of negotiations along
these lines the French feeling today is
that France seems to be alone among
the great powers IN its readiness to
make any definite plans or sacrifices
for insurtng peace. The League cove
nant is thought to be much weakened
By the persistent refusal of the United
StsateS to join either the League or the
World Court, and by British intimat-
items that Great Britain will be unable
TO use its Navy to support the covenant
as long as it remains in the dark re-
garding the intentions Of the United
States in case of q crisis.
The Geneva protocol for mutual aid
Is no nearer adoption than ever. The
Locarno treaties, though still in effect,
seem to be less popular in Great Britain
and Italy, to say nothing of Germany.
The Kellogg pact has resulted in no
declaration by the United States as to
what 1t would do in case the pact were
broken and, in the French view, Russia
douted it with complete impunity in
the Manchurian crisis.
The Mediterranean and Eastern
Locarno pact proposals are seemingly
dead and the French have no illusions
regarding the fundamental opposition
Of Great Britain, Germany. Italy and
Russia TO the European union proposal.
French attempts to tame Russia by
kindness" have failed.
Great Britain and the United States
rejected the three-power pact which
they promised as compensation to
France for not creating at the end of
the war an independent RhineIand
buffer state between France and
Germany.
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