Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18

quoted today on the French Stock Ex-
change at less than 600 francs, which
means that the holders at present are
out 40 or As per cent of their money
So, very naturally. if the French people
were invited today to subscribe to
another loan of another hundred mil
lion dollars in favor of Germany they
would ask for a guaranty that in six
months there would not be another
parade of Steel Helmets in the presence
of the former Crown Prince and that
the new pocket cruiser would not be
called Alsace-Lorraine or that some
financial pledge would be given by Ger
many. And this Chancellor Bruening,
who is a loyal and upright man-and
who, by the way, produced the best i'm
preston in Paris circleS-of course can
not promise. He must take into account
German susceptibnities as well as Ger
man chauvinism.
Something Else Suggested.
"Well, then" said Pierre Laval, lets
drop that subject and try something
else. Let's see If we cannot reach some
other arrangement on some other mat
ter"
He believes that it is too early to
reach a political agreement with Ger
many. Passions on both sides run too
high; resentment is too vivid. But it is
not too soon to reach an economic
agreement. In fact, many private
understandings under the name Of
"cartelS" have been concluded between
French and German producers and
French and German industrial concerns.
Why not try to enlarge them? Why not
associate governments in undertakings
in order to lead and control them? II
the two nations cooperate in the field
Of trade, won't this be an inducement
for them to cooperate later on in the
field of politics? The recent Berlin
meeting had no other purpose. And
Pierre Laval felt perfectly happy to
have attained such a purpose.
I'VE have planted small shrub" he
explained when he came back from
Germany, "but If that shrub takes root
and we look after it carefully there Is
no reason why it should not grow and
become big tree"
Intense Interest In Trip.
Such is the man who IS going across
the Atlantic to answer the call of Presi-
dent Hoover and confer with him in
Washington. Never. perhaps, has such
meeting been SO intensely interesting,
not so much because the two men
actually represent the only two countries
in the world which are not panic
stricken" and which may be able to
bring some order out of the confusion
existing in the world but because they
have many curious points of reSemb-
lance. Both are self-made men. Both
have had hard beginnings in life and
both have attained the top of the demo-
cratic ladder through the efforts OF their
labor. Both care much about facts and
little about words. Both are above all
realists. Strangely enough, one speaks
very little English, the other very little
French, and, nevertheless, they speak
the same language.
It may be that one little thing will
make Pierre Laval somewhat unhappy
during the IL days he will be on the
Atlantic and the six days he will be in
Washington. He won't be able to in
quire twice or three times a day, as he
mandy. This farm is his hobby. When
you are sitting near him during his
ministerial work at the ministry of the
interior it is a common occurrence to
hear him call some one on the tele-
phone in the middle of political con-
versation and say, Don't forget to get
in the hay; Take care Of the grass, "
or Look after the sheep" OF course,
he could still do this from Washington
by using the long -distance telephone;
but he won't do it. And the big farmers
of the Middle West will no doubt ap-
preciate the size Of the sacrifice on the
part Of the small farmer of France.