Evening star., 1936-04-11
The French Debt.

Millions OF Frenchmen, as well as the
nationals of other European countries
which have repudjated the war debts
they owe to the United States, unques-
tionably have come to look upon those
obligations as dead issues and to con-
slider that no further time or thought
need be wasted on them. 1t is refresh
ing to find so distinguished and inf1uen-
tiaI parsonage as M. Edouard Herriot,
former premier of France, in thorough
and courageous disagreement with that
cynical view. In an election address at
Lyon this week, the statesman, who
laid down the premiership in 1882 rather
than assent to French debt default.
spoke with characteristic candor OF
Frances action on that occasion. To it
he ascribes the fact, as he sees it, that
as far as American help for France is
concerned the United States is today
ION another planet" M. Herriot went
the length of asserting that the failure
to continue even token payments at
Washington is typical of an attitude
which, in his judgment, has cost the
French friendships everywhere and left
them in diplomatic isolation.
The one-time premier makes an in
teresting revelation of his debt conver-
sations with President Roosevelt at the
White House in the Fall of 1888. Il
found myself facing man well dis
posed toward France M. Herriot said.
"Mr. Roosevelt explained: I am in
difficult situation, as regards the Ameri-
can public. Make some gesture. Give
me something on account-anything you
wish. I shall be only too happy to help
you, if can, in international affairs.
M. Herriot wonders, in the light OF what
happened, whether Mr.. Roosevelt may
not be the last American President
friendly to France, and whether the
French some day may not see German
American in the White House" Re-
affirming his own belief in respect for
signatures on contracts under any and
all circumstances, M. Herriot prayS that
the time will not come when France needs
oil and creditor where are we going
to get them?"
The ex-premiers sentiments are well
coined by American taxpayers, who put
up the money for the European war
loans. They find expression at a moment
when there is revived interest in the
obligations for which our European
debtors have deliberately chosen to re-
main in default. Friendship for France
in this country is deep-rooted, especially
at this anxious period of her European
relationships. That friendship has not
been destroyed by the reputation of her
covenanted obligations to the United
States, but undoubtedly innumerable
Americans are today far less kindly dis
posed toward the land of Lafayette than
they would be if the debt issue were not
the object of the cavalier treatment it has
received at Paris ever since M. Herriot
left office four years ago.
1t is difficult to imagine more Strate-
gic step in her own interest that France
could take over here at this time than to
assume the leadership, however modestly,
in a movement to re-establish the good
faith of Uncle Sans war debtors One
of these days it is well within the range
of probability that there will be another
Herriot ministry. 1t is safe to conclude
that it would do its utmost to rehabili-
tate French credit in the estimation Of
the American people.