The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-08-29
FRENCH LESSON

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religious generation OF a man who
had come with peace in his heart
to install a new era OF human re-
lations. And then the honeymoon
was over.
Senate Bull-dozed
The American Cenate. bull-dozed
as usual by a mere handful OF
powerful, self-serying, and party
worshipping men. felt that its sac
red prerogatives mad been poach-
ed upon, and determined TO adj
minister a thorough reproof to the
President. Let the League fall,
let the Peace Treaty crumble into
| the dust, let Americas word become
| a password, let all the hatreds Of
/ hell burst out again, none OF this
mattered. Wilson had TO be smash
ed, the party had to get back its
place at the trough. So the Senate
repudiated the triparty pact, re-
pudiated the League, and repudiat-
ed American faith.
AS for the guarantee OF the from
tier, our refusal TO accept IL al.
lowed Great Britain to slip grace.
fully out OF her incipient obliga.
ton. Half of Clemenceau's COM
pensation had gone by the board.
There remained the League. France
never understood Americas refus-
al to back up Wilson's word.
We generally tend to glorify for
eign statesmen without realizing
that they have as many human
weaknesses as our own brand has.
Treaty Remained
There remained the League and
the Peace Treaty, the Infamous
Versailles treaty. | wish more
Americans would reread that trea-
ty, and then would read the terms
OF the proposed German treaty
when it appeared that the war
would end in a stalemate. My
only criticism OF the Versailles
treaty is that IL wasn't nearly
strong enough. Two decades of
German propaganda have left US
convinced that 1t was a vicious doc
ument. OF course we haven't
bothered to read it; we are always
much surer about things which we
haven't read.
Now let us trace very briefly the
history of Franco-German relations
under the Peace Treaty and the
League. The first episode which
we all recall at once was the
Ruhr occupation. When Germany's
payments Chiefly in coaD remain
ed constantly far below the figures
agreed upon, and after repeated
warnings, the French government
served notice that according to the
terms Of the treaty France would
occupy the Ruhr industrial area.
France invited Great Britain to par
ticipate in this occupation. The
latter declined. This was in 1928.
Frenchman Legaist
Now the Frenchman is legalist
above all, too much so. He is
about as tesaiistie- as our eonsuls
or customs officials. The Ruhr was
! to him a clearcut case. 1t was a
failure to pay the mortgage and
the consequent eviction proceed
ings. 1t was all carefully done ac-
cording TO the provisions OF the
treaty for such a contingency. But
it raised the most violent press.
storm up to the time of Hitler and
destroyed Frances international
reputation for years to come. II
was nothing but catastrophe.
France lost money on the occupa-
ton. She retired before the terms
were met. She gave Germany the
finest fuel for her campaign against
the treaty, a campaign Of sabot-
age which started in 1918 and last
ed until Hitler buried the remains
of the treaty which Germany never
intended or tried to fulfill. Hitler
didn't invent the scrap.of.paper
! theory.
The Ruhr occupation brought
into the open the British antagon-
ism toward France. 1t was mu.
tual. The two nations neither
think alike nor see alike. They
have fought each other for almost
a thousand years and things like
that get into the blood. From the
last shot in November, 1918, the
former allies were at each others
threats. Fortunately We were 5000
miles away, too far to enjoy the
scrap.
First Major Clash
The Ruhr provided the first ma
jor clash. Great Britain was the
immediate champion OF Germany,
and the French were a gang of
/ blackguards to invade her. The
French never forgot this. Neither
did the English. No matter which
country suggested being stern with
Germany. the other refused. No
matter which suggested collabora.
ton with Germany the other be.
came indignant. And Germany
w1Xed upon the discord thus Great.
ed
II is my opinion that memories OF
the Ruhr disaster prevented France
twice from taking the obvious step
the stitch in time, which would
have saved her. And each time II
was her hesitancy over the reac
t.3u il .1E.and, over whether oi
not England would back her, over
whether she would again find her
self Public Enemy Number One
which kept her from acting wher
she knew in her heart that she
should act / refer to the entry d
Hitler into the Chancellory. Janu
airy 30, 1888, and the occupation o.
the Rhineland in 1895. On both oc
casions France should have taker
the offensive, and smashed tn,
menace before 1t developed. Blu