The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-22
"French Public Opinion"

opinion Inc french government is reputeQ 10 De
willing to go long way toward helping her late
enemy out Of the bottomess hole, if this be done
without getting into trouble with the French people.
s. This throws right back to where were at
the end Of the war or, more precisely, toward the
end of peace negotiations. The schedule of repara-
tons, dictated by France had been agreed upon by
the allies representatives and ready to be sub
mitted to the German delegation Suddenly it came
over some Of the British delegates that they we're
putting their hands to instrument that meant not
permanent peace, but prolonged disaster.
One to realize it Bomar Law chancellor Of the
British eXchequer, a coo-headed, financial minded
Scotchman. True, he had lost son in the war and
had entertained fervent hope that the peace might
be such as to put the next war in the far distant
future
But his mind was clear to implications Of the
proposed reparations Another to see the significance
Of what they were about to do Barnes the Brit
ish labor minister. They went to Lloyd George and
related their fears He agreed with them instantly
and said he had worn himself out endeavoring to
persuade Clemenceau to the same viewpoint he sug-
gested that they talk with The Tiger"
They did So To their surprise, Clemenceau like
wise agreed, without hesitation But, he said, the
terms fixed we're the least that public opinion In
France would accept. And when, eventually, the
treaty fatty charging Germany with the whole
guilt Of the and assessing that beaten and broken
nation with, as nearly as possible. the whole cost of
repairing the damage, Clemenceau did have difficulty
in obtaining it's acceptance by his chamber Of depu
ties The chamber wanted terms even harsher.
Presumably, the chamber represented French pub
lie opinion. And at that time it probably reflected
this opinion correctly. For the French fed for four
years on their governments propaganda, had no rea-
son to believe that anything charged against Ger
many was not true.
univ ot
be required to pay every last cent that could be
wrung out of her They bitter natural
The intervening thirteen years seem to have modi-
field this feeling on the part of the French They
have learned more concerning the causes of the
no less person than Poincare has admitted Germanys
sole guilt was political fiction.
More than that, the mere passage Of time has be-
gun to bring their native common sense into play.
Now they can shout Long Live Germany" when
Bruening appears in their streets.
But that doesn't say that the average, hsrd-work-
ing French citizen is ready to transfer the burden
the war debts from the shoulders of his German
neighbors to his own. He isn't. The Frenchnan is
frugal, thrifty soul. He hates taxes a little more
earnestly than most any other national in the west
ern world.
Yet France is prosperous country; compared with
others she is rich What does that meanP 1t means,
fortunately for the French that the average man is
fairly comfortable.
1t means more than that, however. It means that
there many great and growing personal fortunes
in France; that, in the United States the economic
scheme is that fosters these growing fortunes,
regardless of what may be the condition of the
age man.
This week, before the Interstate commerce COM
sa,ise Nauy VOrLi horIy
to support the railroads plea for higher freight rates.
,said
I've never seen the banks SO full of money!"
This was his very simple manner of saying what
has been said over and over again since our present
hard times hit us: That there is more money in
America than at any other time in its history, and
that this money is in fewer hands than ever before
The American economic system has operated to
provide and protect dividends, interests profits
but no longer to provide and protect wages The re-
suit is that America approaches winter of terrible
Hardship the part of millions, winter of idle
money en- the part of the few.
America faces the necessity of taking great part
of this pied-up wealth by taxation, for the sheer
purpose of staving off starvation of the unemployed
The situation that France confronts is somewhat
similar. Not immediate starvation within her bor-
ders, but collapse of all Europe that necessarily
would engulf France.
Just as we can meet dire need if the
government will seek the money where the money is
so France can meet the need of all Europe if her gov
iernment will do the same.
And the French public opinion that her politicians
Year so heartily probably would stand for such solu-
ton of the situation Say higher taxes to the
age Frenchman and he will rebel
The same is true in this country-if you don't spe-
city who is to pay the higher taxes Already the
spokesmen for Americas great fortunes are seeking
to arouse the fear that increased taxes will in
creased taxes. for the average man.
But if French public opinion is given to under
stand that the plan is to take the burden from the
ruined peasants and workers OF Germany and trans
fer it to the war and peace proeers of France the
world probably will have no cause to doubt the IA
yorable response of French public opinion.
Historical Perspective
with snnn 600 workers and their denendsnts idle