Evening star., 1933-05-14

Mo-cove--, in certain years folovin
the Word War the French nation ac-
quired a considerable experience with
under the impact of irresistible forces.
An Official devaluation Of the franc
became necessary. Prices rearranged
themselves at a level sufficiently lofty
to satisfy all the aspirations which any
normal French soul could entertain
in that direction. Better prices.
meaning higher prices" is a phrase
which may thrill the British or Amer
lean heart It chills the French one.
In one word. and in the language
of the moment, the Roosevelt admins
tra.ion and the Macdonald government
are "infetiolist" The French gov
ernment and people are not.
This divergence of views in the eco
.nomic field I mention only to indi-
cate that the British and the French
are by no means always a unit in their
presentation of European conceptions
wrenches the realities of the proper
possible relations between European
countries and the United States than
the American superstition to the ef-
feet that such thing exists-toward
the United States-as European
united front" That united front" is
in almost all respects a total myth.
The United States can deal with any
European country in complete conf
dence that among European govern
ments themselves there will be dis
agreements regarding the topic Of the
negotiations.
Profound Disagreement .
In Washington the disagreement be-
tween the French and the British on
the topic of the feasibility and de-
STABILITY OF artificial fittings of prices
was profound AL the more striking,
then, was their agreement en- the mill
tary dangerousnees Of the present po-
litical posture of Europe. The French
took the lead in expounding 1t, but
the British-including even their non
political economic experts not
far behind in emphasizing 1t to all
American listeners.
And what is the root of that dan
gerousness, as seen and told by our
French and British guests? It does not
lie, for them. today. in any mere df-
ferences of race, of blood. of ma
tionality," in the European arena. 1t
lies, as they think, in two principles
which they believe to be standing
against each other in Europe today as
fell opposites. One Is the principle OF
democracy, which in practice means
q state in which the liberties Of the
citizen have considerable amplitude un-
der the guise of natural rights" The
other is the principle Of dictatorship
which in practice means state In
which so-called natural rights" of the
citizen give way very largely, and
sometimes almost entirely, to govern
mental controls, not only OF private
action, but OF private thought ano
speech.
Countries in which governments ars
able in a most exceptional degree tt
mold the mass minds of their people
into belligerent attitudes. as they please
have begun to infuse terror into tht
French and extreme anxiety into the
British The governments at Paris ano
at London know full well that with
democratic institutions-and a free press
they cannot achieve that unity oi
national sentiment and Of nationalistit
intention which is easily fomented BY
governments with dictatorial powers
They therefore perfectly naturally feal
such governments both in the matter
of a possible rousing of the war spirit
and in the matter of the hurting o1
governmentally mesmerized millions ol
citizens and soldiers into the possible
subsequent war itself.
Remarks by Herriot.
It is such Considerations that ami.
mated certain otherwise merely rhetor-
ical or merely polite remarks uttered by
M Herriot in Washington. M. Herriot
exclaimed:
II shall explain to France that this
land, America, Is the land Of liberty and
that in the hour when brute force and
prosecutions seem to drive US back tc
barbarism there is on this continent
| a great nation which means to obey
nothing but the dictates Of reason and
Justice"
In European eyes the combat against
the depression becomes often immensely
less important than the combat against
the possible physical conquests which
they conceive the European dictator.
ships to be capable OF planning. Hence
was born. the last utterance Of NJ
H.rriot to Washington:
I'VE met here to work for double
aim-the maintenance Of freedom ant
the organization of peace"
In that remark M. Herriot went be-
yond the strict bounds Of the mood o.
President Roosevelt and most certainly
beyond the strict bounds Of the mood o.
Secretary Of State Hull. Nothing i
farther, I think from the thoughts ol
dreams Of thpee two gentlemen thai