Evening star., 1938-07-21
KING IMPRESSED
BY PARIS VISIT
French Go Out o; Their Way
to Show What Military
Alliance Means.
BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
0y Radio to The Star.


BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
Dy Radio to The Star.
PARIS, July 21.-The visit Of th'
British sovereigns reached its clima1
today at Versailles. the center Of
French military history. After ar
exchange Of verbal tokens of alliance
after innumerable manifestations o1
friendship, and after social occasion.
like yesterdays garden party, dinner
and gala evening at the Paris opera
today the French went out of theil
way to show their British allies just
what q military alliance with France
means.
You offer us your fleet and some
military support in case Of trouble,
the French seemed to say. I'VE offer
you our naval support and our army
Here Is our army. Look it over and
tell us if you ever saw better one"
That is what the great review OF
Vervailles meant as thousands of the
best military Of France, with full ma
teriel of every sort trotted out to
destroy the legend Of French military
prowess which might in any sense have
been lessened in the last few years.
Legend of Own Making.
It must be admitted that the
French themselves were responsible
for this legend. One often woulc
think, listening to distinguished
Frenchmen, that France today was
absolutely helpless and incapable Of
anything but second or third class
effort in the military field. In a
democratic country one can under
stand military men taking this line
to Parliament in order to keep de-
fense appropriations high. Moreover,
by criticizing French things, the
French like to show their complete
freedom from prejudices. ''=
But under pressure OF German
threats Of new heavy concentrations OF
German troops on the frontier be-
tween Austria and Czechoslovakia, the
French finally have decided to show
the British just what sort of military
machine they actually possess. The
impression is really formidable. Many
people, including certain foreign Dip
lomats, will have to revise their pre-
vious judgment.
Unquestionably, King George has
been impressed, as he has been with
every detail of his Paris reception.
For it must be repeated that the
French people, reported to be sloppy
to the extreme, have shown an url-
expected capacity for precise accom-
plishment.
During q long conversation yester-
day, no unanimity Of details on a
common foreign policy was really
reached. It is certain that the two
democracies intend to defend them
selves and their friends against un-
provoked attack It Is certain that
they wish only for peace. 1t is Ger
tain that they would welcome the
company Of Germany and Italy if these
countries would drop their aggressive
intentions. But since none above
kindergarten age now imagines that
any such thing can happen so long As
Reichsfuehrer Adolf Hitler and Pre-
mier Benito Mussolini remain in power.
the question was how to organize an
adamant front against 1talo-German
claims.
Would Weaken French Position.
The details Of the conversation have
been kept pretty secret. But informed
circles believe that British Foreign.
Secretary Vscount Halifax outlined
his scheme for protecting Czecho-
slovakia by neutralizng that country.
The Czechs would receive q guarantee
Of independence from France, Great
Britain and Germany on the condition
that they yield to the demands of the
Sudeten Germans and cut the Czech
Army down to the Swiss level.
The French note that such a pro-
posal-presuming that Hitler accepted
and kept his promise-would mean
that Germany would be able to con-
centrate its entire armed forces against
France while the French would have
three frontiers to defend. Further
more, that would deprive the Soviets
of the only spot (Cxechoslovakia)
where they could come to Frances
aid in case Germany attacked France.
They proposed rather the strengthen
ing Of the links between Britain and
the Soviets despite the obstacle of the
now purely theoretical "Bokhevism."
No unity on these points has been
reached, no decision has been taken,
but diplomatic conversations will con-
tinue