Evening star., 1932-02-28
French, Lacking Complete U. S. Data,
See Activities i'm Contradiction

passed resolution from which the fol-
lowing is an extract:
Whereas his frank, fearless and out
spoken utteranceS on all public occa
sions voiced the deep convictions of
the American people and of the Amer
lean Chamber of Commerce. ETC."
Needless to say, neither Walter Berry
nor. the American Chamber of Com
merce in France had any sort of man.
date to speak for the American people.
Yet the contrary has still to be proved
to the French, who to the end will
persist in believing that Mr.. Berry and
the chamber, by their own statements
and resolutions, committed the United
States to a policy of annulment of all
debts.
When told that the president of the
chamber had no mandate to speak on
behalf OF the American people the
French confess inability to understand
who is and who is not inundated in
America, and they revert to the case of
woodrow Wilson and the peace confer
ence in Paris.
To this day a large number of
Frenchmen continue to be in the dark
regarding the workings of the ConSti-
tuition of the United States and the
powers vested in the President. First,
Wilson's commitments were not ratified
by the Senate; now President Hoover.
after making certain propositions to
Premier Pierre Laval, finds that Con-
gress places limits upon his suggestions.
1t is all very puzzling to the French.
Their ignorance of American constitu-
tional practice in 1919 has been ex-
planned by recent publications reveal
ing the orders given to the French
~ fIaN NYN.O
emanating from Georges Clemenceau in
person, forbade the publication of any
attack on Woodrow Wilson. Interpret
ing the order in the widest sense, the
censor would not permit the publication
of dispatches from America indicating
that the Senate was not likely to ratlfy
the peace treaty.
Still Remain in Dark.
Today there is no ban, but the situa-
! ton remains much the same, for the
| French public cannot tell from its news
papers what is happening in America
apart from 'gangsters" news, the only
phase of life in the United States to
/ have received detailed attention in re-
| cent years.
/ 1t is DO secret that the information
/ issued to the papers by the press serv-
Ice or the (4udl q OTSdy Is virtually
/ confined to extracts from those Ameri
can publications supporting France;
adverse criticism is never available
from that source. On the other hand
much is made of visiting Americans
described as friends Of France" upon
whom decorations and other courtesies
are laviShed, and who very naturally
say pleasant things in return. Thus the
impression is conveyed that all Ameri-
cans think as these individual Ameri-
cans do, with the result that wher
either the administration in Washing
ton or the United States Congress acts
in a manner different from French an
ticipation the whole nation is taxes
with inconsistency and incoherenct
and there are cries of "Shylock!'
The French. who pride themselves or
their logical minds, find that Ameri
cans act illogically. The truth is that
as regards America, French logic is Sc
to work on incomplete or inaccurat;
data. The French have evolved from
such data a conception of America
which is false, and they have yet Il
learn that it is their logic that
faulty.
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