Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24
BY FRANK H. s1MoNDs.


~ more dramatically than in the
case of Aristide BRAND. The
defeat which came to him in the presi-
dental election almost to the last de.
tail re-enacted the circumstances of the
ultimate political disaster of George,
Clemenceau more than decade ago
Moreover, a further ironical note was
added by the fact that BRAND hac
himself contributed to the Tigers over
throw.
Clemenceau was beaten because, not
Withstanding the fact that he had beer
hailed as Father Victory" and his share
in the winning of the war by the allies
was universally recognized to be pre-
eminent, his fellow countrymen were
already dissatisfied, as they were later
to become still more censorious over his
conduct Of the peace negotiations. AL
ready Clemenceau had become the man
who won the war and lost the peace"
BRANDS situation is analogous. Fol-
six yearS-in fact, ever since the days
OF the Locarno negotiations-the vet
eran statesman has been beyond debate
the most considerable and the most in
huential public man in Europe. Thanks
to him, French prestige in Europe anc
French leadership at the League have
been unmiStakable. Thanks to him, too
France has escaped from the uncom-
Portable situation in which she was left
by Poincare's adventure in the Ruhr
To him Is due the fact that today the
world accepts the idea of a peaceful
France instead of the once familiar
notion Of militaristic and chauvini5tic
nation.
Victim Of AnschIuss Plan.
: If he has clearly brought about a re-
versal OF the world estimate of French
spirit, BRAND. for utterly different rea-
sons. has ended by suffering a defeat
as bitter and as complete as that of
his ancient rival, largely because of the
stupidity of his political friends at home
and even more considerably because of
the course Of those who should have
been his allies abroad. In a word, as
Clemenceau was the victim of Wilson
and Lloyd George, who insisted upon
peace terms which the French people
regarded as inadequate and even dan
Eerous. for France, BRAND has now
fallen because Of the maneuvers of Ger
man craftsmanship, although he is him
self the great French protagonist of
reconciliation between the two tradi-
J tional enemies.
For two years, ever since the death
Of Gustav Stresemann, there has been
rapid development within Germany
OF belief that the Stresemann policy OF
reconciliation, based upon agreement,
had resulted in the ruin Of Germany.
TIE evidence of this German state OF
mind slowly but surely awakened, first,
French distrust, and later actual appre-
hension.
BRAND was able to carry his policy
through the two crucial stages marked
by the substitution of the Young plan
for the Dawes plan and the evacuation
Of the Ruhr i've years in advance of
the treaty date. But these things. be-
heved by the French to represent enor-
nous concessions. required, to the
French mind, compromising concessions
on the German side. When the Ger
man response was the Hitler election of
last Fall, French opinion was profoundly
stirred. When to this was added the
recent Austro- German Anschluss an
nouncement nothing was more inevitable
than that there should be a general
French explosion and that Brands
political Situation should be compro-
missed.
Was Germany's Best Friend.
As a result of the Hitler election and
the AnSchluss maneuyer the great mass
Of the French people are, for the mo-
ment at least, satisfied that underneath
q cover of smooth phrases and con-
ctliatory proposals the German people
are reverting 10 what France conceives
"
suit OF pre-war detectives by the old
fashioned methods. And they are con-
WINGED that BRAND in his sentimental
pursuit of world peace has impaired
French security and risked French in
terests.
Thus Brands defeat has been made
In Germany by those German states
domestic opponents, sought to improve
their own situation at home by a bril-
liant coup in foreign affairs. the COUP
being the Anschluss plan. While theil
project has already been demonstrated
TO be impossible Of realization at thu
present time. 1t has completely wrecked
the situation Of BRAND. who has beer
and remains the best friend Germany
has had in postwar Europe.
A few weeks before the election Tar
dieu in talking with me said:
Before the Austro- German affair
had you asked me If BRAND could b,
President. should have answered tina
he had only to speak to be the almost
unanimous choice of the convention
Now frankly don't know. But 1 car
say this-that he seems to me to be in
danger Of following the bad example Of
Clemenceau, who delayed announcing
his candidacy until it was too late anc
then yielded TO the entreaties of his
friends when the game was already
lost"
u. S. fastened His Ruin.
BY denying BRAND the presidency
France has clearly served notice upon
Germany and the rest of Europe-upor
England and Italy as emphatically al
upon the old ensmy-that she will not
permit the realization Of the Austro-
German plan; that she will not lister
TO any agreement TO promote disarma-
ment that includes the detail OF dis
turbing the relative strength OF France
and Italy in the Mediterranean; in q
word. that France for the time being
IS out Of the game Of concessions.
Thus the phase in European history
which began at Locarno has ended al
Versailles. It Is true that BRAND MAJ
linger as foreign minister, perhaps even
indefinitely. Even in their present ex-
ASPIRATION the French are not unaware
Of his value. But henceforth, for a time
at least, he must appear as the ex.
ponent Of French opinions. not as tn,
representative of country which fol.
lows him, shares his aspirations anC
supports his program.
Moreover, there Is something YerginG
on the absurd in the eager attempts o.
the British, led by Henderson, to re.
store the domestic prestige of BRAND
British Labor. along with the American
administration, has contributed mucf
to the ruin of BRAND by fastening the
laval Conference OF London withou
saying the smallest attention to thu
French political situation. and later
after the conference, by pressing fol
the pending Franco Italian naval com
promise which BRAND endeayored Il
carry through to his own immediate
ruin. Even more cruel was the blow
incident 10 the disclosure at the mo.
ment Of the Anschluss episode. tina
Henderson and Ramsay Macdonald haC
invited the German chancellor and for.