Evening star., 1931-04-12
FRANCE is DETERMINED
TO UPHOLD STATUS QUO
With Relative Prosperity at Home, She
Stands Ready to Defend Fruits
of Victory.

in addition, the United States and Brit
ain cancel what France owes them and
ask France proportionstely TO reduce
German payments to her, that Is de-
batable, but there remains the balar1ce
due, which France means TO have.
Stands Firm on Debts.
Moreover. now that Germany is de-
nanding the right TO rearm IL France
will not reduce her srmaments. Franco
obviously has little interest in seeing
Germany forgiven debts and thus pro-
yided with money TO recreate her mill
tary establishment in defiance OF the
treaty OF Versailles-as France reads
that treaty. France is not going IN
reduce her armaments further until
Germany accepts the existing situation
in Europe as permanent ncr is she
going to consent to German rearma-
ment while Germany continues to adj
vocate frontier rcyisions
Such suggestions as that OF Mr. Hur-
ley that the United States should can
Gel the debts II European states would
disarm. leaves the French unaffected
because they arc not a debtor but
creditor ma ton on balance in the gen.
cral system Of debts and reparations.
In the last two years France has been
troubled by the double phenomenon of
a reyiying German danger and con-
tinulrg italian menace With the tri-
umph Of the Hitlerites last Autumn. the
danger OF a German Italian combina-
ton. even OF Rome Berlin Moscow
orientation. took on certain appear
ance OF reality. But the result has been
not French concessions to Germany. but
Franco Italian agreement, which At
the outset has been limited TO naval
hut Hlrat, to ~
widely.
Gesture Toward u. s.
All OF which means that the French
have chosen to make friends with the
Italians rather than the Germans. e.
the same time making a gesture to the
British and American governments.
which have both attached great I'M
portance to the London naval treaty
Moreover the first effects of the
Franco Italian affair have been almost
ridiculous, when one remembers the
recent tone Of the press and public men
on either side Of the Alps Now there
Is going on something little short of
love feast. And one can note corre-
spending anxiety and disappointment
in Berlin. for while the threat of a
German Russian combination might be
employed to obtain concessions, few OF
the more sensible Germans have am
desire 10 be isolated with Russia or are
unaware OF what the effect of such an
association would be upon the American
mind, which for the German remains
the most important consideration.
In the larger sense France Is satisfied
with things as they are, and French
policy is summed up in the purpose 10
keep them in this state. There Is no
inherent opposition in France to further
reduction Of armaments provided it iS
accompanied by greater guarantees OF
the existing order, through international
agreements putting teeth In the cove
nant OF the League and in the Kellogg
pact. But no party in France, no in
f1uential group, dares or cares to pro-
claim policies which diminish arma-
ment without increasing other Ruaran-
tees of security.
Meantime what is all important ts
that the results OF the German election.
the direct purposes OF the Hitlerite5
and the indirect effects, as they show
in the adoption of revisionist policies
oy the moderate groups. have combined
70 check, II not to dissipate, the belief
IN the minds of the masses Of French
people that any real understanding with
Germany is possible; that there Ia n
new republican, Germany, which
is to be contrssted sharply with the old
imperial Germany. With the Germany
OF Stresemann France was eager to CO.
operate with that of Hitler it can, in
the nature Of things, find no basis for
agreement.
Satisfied on Victory.
Today France has about completed
her new system of Notifications on the
German frontier from the Rhine to the
Meuse; she has reorgRnized her army
on basis which was highly praised to
me oy German generals in Berlin; she
mas made naval bargain with Italv
pleasing TO Britain, which NAV lead To
other bargains. Finally no economic
crisis at nome provokeS domestic politi-
cal unrest.
In this situation OF comparative Sc
curlty and relative prosperity France
has set her face against two things
the Communism OF Russia and the
natlonalism of the German extremists.
She VIII resist to the death all endeavor
Oh the Soviets to overthrow the social
order IN Europe and, for the present
at least, all attempts of the HitleriteS
to revise the political conditions Of the
treaty Of Versailles.
All OF which amounts to saving that
To-Day. II years after. the French are At
last fully satisfied that they won the
war and have not the smallest intention
of parting with any of the fr11its ~
victory or OF compromising any of the
material and political gains incident to
the victory.
(CopyriKht, 1917