The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-08

pleasant when an American writer attempts to pick
flaws in their doctrine.
M Andre Maurois writes in the Sunday New
York Times on the differences between Frenchmen
and other people especially the Anglo-saxon British
er and American He sets forth several points which
he regards as Enthusiastically French Here is a
little light in his dark corners.
In the first place, says M. Maurois the French
worship written contracts. They can not conceive
Of broken pledge, The Anglo Saxon has no such
conception Of the sanctty of the written promise
On this basis M Maurois points out how the
French are aghast at the thought of breaking the
sacred treaty of Versailles, the Dawes plan, the
Young plan and the like by which France profits to
the tune of many billions
But M. Maurois negIects to say anything about
the written promise Of the French to pay their war
debts to the United States in full with interest The
French reverence for the written contract does not
seem to have prevented them from asking for
revolutionary alteration of this sacred written oga
ton
In the second place, the FTeI.oaman is less con-
cerned with economic asccs life than the British
nation of shopkeepers and the money-mad Americans.
1t is doubtful if it is necessary to comment on this
assertion Enough Americans have been to France
in the last fourteen years to be able to form their own
opinions
Certainly the French have not failed to be on
their toes in regard to the war debts and any pro-
poSal to pare down reparations
Warming up to his subject M Mal1rois states the
decisive characteristic of the French mentality.
This is "the fear of war;" Going on. he saws.
There is no greater Stiffness than to speak of a
Frenchman as beicose. The Frenchman whether
in civil or military life, remembers the war with
horror Successive invasons d814, 1885, 1870, 1910
nave created a national, anguished state of mind
which is justihable and inevitable"
1nls Is strange statement to come from man
VINO must be reasonably acquainted with the facts
OF european history 1t is no exaggeration to say
that France has started more major European wars
tnan all other European states combined No other
state has SO goried in the military tradition since
Rome persisted Consider the wars of the Middle
Ages, of Louis XII, of Francis T. of Louis XIV. of
the first and third Napoleons
Come down to own day. Was France terri
ned in 1870? Not at all. She rushed n1adlv and
merrily into war, crying "On to Berlin" The army
nao plenty OF maps Of Germany but few of France
Even the Old Tiger Clemenceau frankly admitted
back in 1914: I'm 1870 Napoleon III in a moment
OF folly, declared on Germany without even
having the excuse of military preparedness No true
Frenchn1an ever has hesitated to admit that the
wrongs Of that day were committed by our side.
Dearly have we paid for them"
Nor do the French leaders in 1914 seem to have
been parayzed with fear when they decided to enter
tne great conflict. On Aug at a. nl hours before
tne nrst declaration of by Germany Izvolski the
Russian ambassador in Paris, teIegraphed to his
superior in ST. Petersburg:
The French minister of war diclosed to me with
hearty high spirits that the French government
firmly has decided upon war" Earlier, when thew
had been compelled to choose between war and
peace Poncare and his associates had encouraged the
Russians to proceed with their fatal general nobiliza
ton.
France legitimately and proudly may boast of the
glores OF her wars, but her apologists make sorry
spectacle in trying to cast her in the role of the
great historic paciflst of Europe
The Office sage wonders what they're calling the
cake eaters in the depression
For crying out loud as the cops said, tossing
tear bomb in the rioting mob
In the financial crisis all Germany is hoping. of
course that reich will make right
An extra dab of cosmetics is all that most girls
need nowadays to make up for lost sleep.
Smile: AS prominent in the days news as the
hacker of trans Atlantic fight
It's safer for the motorist to say thumbs down
to hitch-hikng thumb jerkers says the Office sage.
When It comes to certain international confer
ences the French, it seems, simply won't "parley"
The wheat farmer, like some professional men.
also can complain that his field is overcrowded
Just Everv Dav Sense