Askov American., 1942-02-19
GO,
Ready for War
Against France
Little Remembered Incident
Stirred Up by Modern
Turn of Events.

If in the present World war, Amer
lean relations with France appeared
strained at times, history was only
repeating itself. For in July, 1798,
George Washington, who had then
been in retirement at Mount Yer
non and had but another year to
live, accepted appointment from
President John Adams, commander
in chief of the American army in a
threatened war with France. He
was &C years old and he stipulated
exemption from active service save
in the case of actual hostilities. Al
exander Hamilton was named Sec
ond in command for immediate pur-
poses.
Until the past year, little has been
written about this chapter in French
United States relations. But war
there was between the two nations.
It was an undeclared war, and the
fighting was confined to naval en-
gagements. It was at this period,
in fact, that the American navy was
born. The department of the navy
was created with Benjamin Stod-
dard as the first secretary of the
navy, on June 18, 1898. The Ameri-
can seamen proved their mettle, ef-
fectively drove French raiders from
American sea lanes, and when Ma
poleon came in as head of the Di-
rectory a peace was effected.
The trouble started when the Jay
treaty was negotiated between Great
Britain and the United States in
1876. France claimed a permanent
alliance with the United States and
regarded the Jay treaty as an un-
friendly act. 1t was probably this
attitude by France which led Wash
ington in his Farewell Address to
warn the American people: "It is
our true policy to steer clear of
PERMANENT alliances with any
portion of the foreign world" But
Washington was at pains at the
very same time to add: Taking
care always to keep ourselves by
suitable establishments on respect
able defensive posture, we may safe
ly trust to TEMPORARY alliances
for EXTRAORDINARY emergen-
cies."
Washington had led his country
men in successful revolution
against Britain. Lafayette, the
great French democrat, aided him
in no small way. LaFayette's help
was sincere. But Washington knew
that the aid given by Louis XVI,
who was later beheaded for un-
democratic rule, was merely for ex-
pediency. Washington therefore was
neither Franco-phile nor an Anglo
phobe. The Jay treaty was conclud-
ed under his direction and it
smoothed many points commercially
and otherwise between England and
this country. France had passed
its terroristic years of the Revolu-
ton and was now governed by a
Directorate. Soon French ships be-
gan fearful raiding Of American YES
sells, confiscating them, and impris-
oning sea men. It was at this point
that an American commission, seek
ing a diplomatic understanding, was
asked to pay a secret ''loan" of
some millions to the Directorate. It
was nothing more than bribe pro-
posal. The "appeasement" was fat
ly rejected and one of the commits
sioners, c. c. Pinckney, is credited
with saying: Millions for defense,
not one cent for tribute" John Mar
shall, later chief justice of the U. S.
Supreme court, was another of the
commissioners, and their report of
the "XY.Z." affair, as the incident
was called, stirred up the nation to
a high pitch of excitement.
Like Cincinnatus of old, Washing
ton was ready to leave the peace
and quiet he had sought after As
years of public service. Fortunately
the "war" blew over. But once again
Washington proved that he was
First in peace, first in war, and first
in the hearts of his countrymen."