Evening star., 1931-04-12
BY FRANK II. SIMoNDs.

DARIS.-Whether one enters France
u from England, Germany or Spain,
the first impression is unmistak
L ably that OF passing from storm
to tranquility. And even If in
Italy Fascist dictatorship has arrived
at a mastery which has obliterated all
sense OF resistance, the very multi
plicity of functionaries, military and
other. on the frontier emphasizes the
difference between a country in which
Doumergue is President and that in
which Mussolini is master.
OF all European countries France is
precisely the state which has recovered
from the war most completely, and is
today suffering from the economic crisis
least severely. 1t Is a country without
a crisis. by contrast with Britain, where
the whole economic future of the ma
ton is admittedly in doubt. by contrast
with Germany, where the shadow OF
revolution is never quite absent: by con-
trast with Spain, where the throne
seems hourly menaced. And it Is the
sole considerable country on the Con-
tinent where the possibility Of dicta-
torship. either of Fascists, as in Italy,
or Of Reds, as in Russia, is out Of the
question,
II an Englishman. a German. an
Italian, a Russian and a Frenchman
who died in the years before the war
were permitted TO return to this planet,
only the Frenchman would find himself
at home-politically socially. economi-
cally. And the result is the profound
calm which permeates the country.
which gives the French Parliament the
atmosphere Of rest cure when COM
pared with the House OF Commons, the
Reichstag or even with the American
institutions on Capitol Hill.
Few Draw DoIes.
On the economic side the French gov
ernnent is paying doles to something
less than $4,000 unemployed. where the
British is paying dole to 100000 and
the Germans to 100000. 1t is true
that the actually unemployed in France
amount TO 100000. but in the main
these are the foreigners who came to
France in search of work, found it in
the recent good times. and are now
flowing back to Poland, Italy, Spain and
Belgium. of this foreign labor France
has more than 100000, so it is clear
that there Is great deal OF slack to
take up before there is real crisis.
Generally speaking, the cost of living
is lower and the quality Of eating better
than anywhere else in the world. There
are no bread lines. no professions of the
worklesS. and, as far as one can see no
danger OF deficit and no peril Of new
and higher taxes.
Now the net effect Of all these cir
cumstances is of very great Importance
in the consideration OF international
problems in Europe. And it is most
important in the matter OF the all
important Franco-German relations
Germany. as I tried to make clear in
my articles from Berlin. is Seething
with revolt against the whole existing
situation in Europe 1t demands the
revision of frontiers, the abolition OF
repsrationS and the establishment of
equality in armaments between Ger
many and France, either by French
disarmament or German rearmament.
Opposes New Frontiers.
And to all OF these major conditions
satisfied and secure France returns
an emphatic negative. France is op-
posed to all revision of frontiers, be-
cause it can be accomplished only at
the expense OF those nations closely
bound to her by alliances, which make
her for all practical purposes the arbiter
OF Europe. In the League OF Nations
Poland Czechosloyakia Rumania and
Jugoslsvia are her faithful partners
Aside from the armies OF this coalition.
only those OF Italy and Russia are
formidable.
II Germany chooses, as she an
nounces is her purpose. to make revi-
sion OF frontiers the first condition Of
her cooperation in any durable organi-
zation Of European peace. France will
reject the proposal. That rejection will,
TO be sure. be in no small part a con-
sequence of the last election in Ger
many, OF the triumph OF the Hitlerites
and the recrudescence OF a spirit which
to the French people is strangely remi-
nlScent OF pre-war days. While Strese-
mann lived one must recognize that
this program of peaceful reordering
made progress: when he died and Ger
many seemed to repudiate his work and
MS spirit French policy hardened.
AS to reparations, the French situa-
ton is peculiar. France is the one
country aside from the United States.
which Is actually getting something out
OF German payments. All the rest
simply transfer German payments to
the United States to pay allied debts
out France has a big surplus, even when
Sne has paid Britain and the United
states. She is getting her coal free
she Is rebuilding harbors. she is Great
ing vast hydraulic power stations like
that on the Rhine below Basel out Of
what Germany turns over. very largely
IN kind. II Britain and italy and Bel
GUM can persuade the United States to
cancel the debts and then choose to
wipe out reparationS we'll and pood. IL