Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12
French Fury Over
Anglo.German Move
BY A. G. GARDINER

LONDON, April 1.-The wave Of
hysteria which is sweeping over the
French press Is the subject of severe
comment here, even in quarters most
patient with the outburstS of our in
calculable neighbor.
Following her frenzied attack on the
Austro- German Customs Union comes
a torrent Of resentment in regard TO
Foreign Minister Hendersons invita-
ton to the German chancellor and
foreign minister to visit London, which
is represented as sinister evidence of
Britain's pro-German sympathieS and
prejudice in favor of the customs
union.
The fact Is that the visit was ar
ranged before the union proposal was
put forward, and it was designed by
Henderson primarily to promote Franco
German understanding preliminary TO
the Disarmament Conference. There Is
no more reason to regard the visit as
a hostile move against France than
there is ground for treating Hender-
sons recent visit to Paris and Rome
as directed against the interests OF
Germany. Indeed the visit, as the New
Statesman points out, formed part
of Henderson's disarmament tactics,
for having secured the amelioration Of
Franco Italian relations he hoped
through the visit Of Chancellor Bruen-
ing and Foreign Minister Curttus TO
pave the way to similar success in
regard to Franco-German relations.
4 X
But In her present mood France af-
fects to see an enemy behind every
bush, and the fear is growing that the
feverish agitation is only calculated
as preliminary to sandbaggtng the
Disarmament Conference. The fear is
emphasized by the extraordinary hitch
in the drafting of the Franco-Italian
naval agreement due to the demand
that France vary in her favor the terms
of the bargain just concluded
The London Daily Telegraph gives
the most disturbing version of the
French demands It says that she
wishes to limit her naval construction
only until 1885 so that If the Naval
Conference of that year Is not salts
factory to her she will be free to build
without limit forthwith, while the orig
inal signatorieS to the naval treaty, the
United States, England and Japan, viii
be bound by the terms of the treaty
not to build until the end of 1886.
Thus the inviolability of the treaty as
well as the prospects Of the Disarma-
ment Conference will be seriously
This action in reviving the dispute
between France and Italy generally Is
as indicating the annoyance
Of France at Italy's failure to back
Austro- German customs pact. She sees
in Italy'S Endorsement Of Henderson's
of the legality of the union
TO the League Council evidence of her
probable willingness to enter the union.
The week end Review describes the
French action as a f1rst-class attempt
at international blackmail, and the
Spectator regards 1t as an intimation
that II the League Council recognizes
the legality of the customs union
France will claim freedom to double
her expenditures for ornaments and
upset the Disarmament Conference in
Henderson has wisely countered the
outcry in regard TO the
visit of Bruening and CurtiuS by post
poning the engagement until after the
League Council has given decision on
the validity or invalidity Of the Gus
toms union. But this Is not likely TO
assuage the French storm, which is
only violent In expression to her oppo-
sition to all restraints put upon her
The prospects of next years Disarm-
ament Conference, says the New States
man, are black. indeed, unless France
earns that naval compromise does not
mean only concessions to her tnSa--
liable thirst for submarines.
y
The root Of the trouble Is the fund.-
mental conflict between the British
view that there can be no European Sc
curity without disarmament and the
French view that France must have
security before disarmament. This lat
Ter view is emphasized In President
Doumergue's oninous speech on Thurs
day at Nice, in which, ignoring the
of the Kellogg pact and Lo-
,arno, he insisted that, since the League
Is unable to give France armed security.
France must depend on her own mill
tary and financial guarantees and on
the. policy of keeping Germany In
chains.
That policy. frankly, is impossible.
and II France insists on pursuing it, the
0nly result must be political isolation.
Europe will not permanently tolerate
her obstinate resistance to pacific re-
of human society. 4
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