Evening star., 1933-05-07
FRENCH POLITICIANS WARY
OFCO-OPERATION WITHU.S.
Many Feel American Congress Cannot
Be Trusted to Carry Out Promises
President May Make.

stabilization and gradual reduction OF
tariffs and quota barriers.
3. France should make big effort to
meet the United States at least half
way on disarmament. France must
realize, according to Herriot, that Presi-
dent Roosevelt. In opposing German
rearmament, in refusing actively to
support revision of the European from
tiers. In favoring the automatic control
Of whatever disarmament is agreed on,
in Offering to consult under the Kellogg
pact and possibly even to enforce an
embargo against an aggressor-in all
this President Roosevelt has made big
effort to meet the French viewpoint.
Herriot's arguments will certainly
carry weight, yet the arguments are
not yet decided. It must be recognized
that there are still many objections cur
rent here to any attempt to cooperate
with the United States on these or any
terms.
Feel Congress Can't Be Trusted.
Many French politicians seem con-
vinced that, whatever the American
President may promise. the American
Congress can not be trusted and the
President, in the long run, is helpless
Such people feel that cooperation with
Great Britain and Italy within some
sort Of innocuous four-power pact, in
cluding even Germany, would be
sounder and safer than any sort of re-
lance falsely placed in vague American
formulas.
Still others are strongly opposed to
disarmament on any terms under the
present European conditions. There Is
widespread sentiment against again de-
valori1ng the French franc. The French
people do not forget that the franc
has already been cut to one-fifth Of
its former value. There is a tendency
to feel that tariff and quota reductions,
as long as the dollar and the pound are
unstabilized, are impossible.
Moreover, the greatest uncertainty Is
felt In financial circles here regarding
the financial future Of the United
States. One banker, analyzing the
American imitation bill, considers that
the real danger is not in the immense
powers conferred on President Roose-
welt. but In the illusion Of the American
people that mere monetary artifices can
somehow overcome the world depres-
sion.
This illusion, he thinks. will force the
Government to try various experiments
meanwhile. will encourage speculation
instead of steady, solid reconstruction
and hence really delay recovery.
Finally, there are still widespread
objections to making the December
war debt payment. Henri Berenger,
French negotiator of the American war
debt agreement, speaking Thursday in
the Senate. said the agreement speci-
fled that France intended to take ac-
count Of reparations receipts.
Gesture DecIared NHi<under~tnod
"The declaration" he said, which I
made on this subject was received with
out protest by the seven American
members Of the War Debt Funding
Commission, WHOM establishing the
count Of the reparations expected by
France from Germany"
At Lausanne, during the Reparations
Conference, he explained, France con-
sented to a 80 per cent reduction in the
reparations, but "our magnificent and
chivalrous gesture has not yet been
understood at Washington
Has Herriot's trip, he asked. changed
all this? No, and "even If there has
been or is about to be an agreement
with President Roosevelt, we are not
sure that Congress will ratify it. Let us
not repeat with President Roosevelt our
bitter experiences with President VIII
son and President Hoover.
Are We going to receive q 90 per
cent cut in the war debts, such as we
gave in the German reparations? Is
there even going to be suspension of
the June payments?"
From all Of this 1t seems clear that
Herriot's fight for Franco-American
cooperation is not going to be instantly
or easily victorious.
tCopyright, 1933)