Evening star., 1946-05-12
French Asked Little:
Obtained Loan EusiIy
But British, Writer Says, Forced
Opposition by Tactlessness
By Raymond Moley.

But British, Writer Says, Forced
Opposition by Tactlessness
By Raymond Moley.
Despite the difference in amounts, the
! French have negotiated a better deal
with us than the British. One is a
shopkeeper's deal; the other, a profess
sor's. 1t hardly needs to be added that
this is the distinction between the late
Lord Keynes and Leon Blum. The noble
lord thought in terms of economic cy-
cles; the French Socialist, in terms of
single years necessities. Leon Blum
was manifesting typical French diplo-
macy. He is truly representative of the
shrewd French peasant -shopkeeper
mentality.
The French appear to be getting a
loan of $3.50 10000 from the Export
Import Bank, s1o0 900, 900 worth of Lib
erty ships, a cancellation of lease-lend
and some amount of surplus property,
the value of which is not clear. But
the French are getting something
quickly and something which will have
an immediate effect on the French
| economy.
The loan from the Export t-Import
Bank needs no Senate action, although
the ship deal may have to be approved
by the Senate Surplus Disposal Com
mittee. From our standpoint, the ships
are not worth much: but for the French
they will have great value. The COM
! merce they will make possible will be
worth hundreds of millions to France.
The trade they carry also will bring
| many dollars to u.s.
| On the other hand, the British nego-
! tiations, under Lord Keynes, unneces-
sarily developed opposition in the
United States. Lord Keynes, despite his
energy and capacity, was unpopular
with our conservative businessmen and
economists. The initial figure of up
ward of $1,000 100000 was frightening
| The final figure of $3,75oO00,000 repre-
sents what would be paid over several
| years.
In the year Immediately ahead, the
French may well be getting more from
us than the British. And with vastly
less effort.
Lord Keynes came not only with con-
SerVatlVe American opinion against
him. but with an additional handicap
AS great intellectual leader among
American left-wing economists, he had
the problems which 60 with that leader
ship. He had to conserve his ascendancv.
notable intellectual cannot behave
like simple trader.
Leon Blum came with no fanfare. He
was not bothered by any leadership
among American Socialists. He il
charming man who knows how Lafay-
cite got on in America. He had large
| hgures in his mind at first, but shrewdly
kept them to himself He did not talk
publicly about So 1000 900 900 or $1,000
100000. He avoided congressional bat
tie. He got what he could and he did
well. He even made it clear that the
deal was good for US
Blum provided an important induce
ment for the loan. The French unfolded
a flve-year recovery plan which showed
how the loan could help to restore
Frances prewar elf-sufficiency. There
oS AlO ldlh VI SOClnilZatlOn,
Inc coincidence between the French
constitutional election on Sunday and
the news Of the loan on Monday has
been duly noted The coincidence might
nave had behind it desire on the part
OF American negotiators to see which
way the political wind was blowing in
11nh
interesting, is not supported by available
facts. Nor would American statesmen
nave been smart to have made the loan
contingent upon conservative victory.
In the first place. the loan was fully
negotiated before the election. In the
second place, suggestions from Amer
lcan quarters that a rightist vote would
help with the loan probably lost votes
against the constitution. ANY one who
knows the French character must
realize that such a suggestion would be
resented bitterly.
In current French politics there are
three nearly equal parties-the popular
Republican movement, the Socialists
and the Communists The union of
WV "a eAASoS 10 CcoSlIGidi W kOfSTn. BuL
decisions within the government do not
represent the status of political think
ing In the nation. The election proved
that.
A loan which will tend to rehabilitate
the French economy will probably lessen
Communist influence in any event, And
loan negotiated by Leon Blum, a
Socialist, will strengthen Socialists at
the expense of the Communists
1t has been a deal quickly and
shreWdly negotiated, which will be mu-
tually beneficial and which will be
popular in both countries. Leon Blum
was wise in. getting half a loaf.
year OF our era began on January /,
loo. Another argument is that the first
century began on January l of the year
ftN4