OCR Text |
Show FRANCE ASSAILED fdr erouas NATION DISPOSED TO BELIEVE AMERICA IS NOT SINERCE IN PREACHING SACRIFICE Lloyd George Declared to Have Changed Platform; English View Disturbing French. Nations Aro Watching I'orls Franco has 'been marking lime the pnst week. But meanwhile from Germany como provocative nrtlclea. From England como contradictory speeches. From America como disconcerting reports. While the German press enrrlea on n campaign against French Intransigence, Intransig-ence, tho president of tho Ilclcliscng admits In a speech that Wlrth ana Kuthcnuu hnd obtained 40 per cent reduction, In the reparations obligations obliga-tions Imposed at Versailles. For u long time I have been saying hat the reduction amounted to about CO per cent. This time, however, It Is not a Frenchman taking but a Gorman Gor-man In high authority. This reduction simply means that the French taxpayer must pay what tho Germans avoid. Tho German press chooses this moment to accuse Franco of crucifying Germany, n re. mark which does not need comment. The approaching elections In England Eng-land bring Internal politics to the fort, ii that country, with unfortuuuto or-focts or-focts upon the foreign policy. David Lloyd George seeks a platform which ivlll enable him to get u majority similar to tho one in J 018. Ills platform plat-form then was "hung tho kaiser" una 'make Gerinuny pay to tho uttermost .urthlng." Lot me meroly observe that if Lloyd George Is us faithless to the new tCurope as he was to tho old, it may be ,i long time before tho rccoutructlon is accomplished. Moreover, without naming him, Lloyd George has made a sharp speech against Premier Polncnlro. There Is no doubt that M. Polncalre'a personality person-ality arouses In England, especially In downing street, mixed sotlments. In 1020 Lloyd George complained against Polncalre, then the head of the roptu- utlous commission, conducting an an-tlallied an-tlallied campaign In rovlows una uowspnpors. Again he officially protested, pro-tested, In Octobor, 1021, against Pom. calie'B publishing of secret peace documents. doc-uments. There Is no confidence on sympathy between Polncalro ana Lloyd George. Their controversy as to tho relative merits of the modern conference iib against tho old diplomacy diplo-macy Is not particularly Interesting, since it concerns only -the former. Hut tho controversy foroshudows ills-quieting ills-quieting disagreement about essentials. essen-tials. When Premier Polncalro naked me to take a portfolio In his cabinet, 1 told him that, while I approved his purposes, I did not think ho could nchlovo them, because of his controversial contro-versial activities for the last two nmi a half years. This alluded not only to tho fact that he constantly tipprov- Ied the acts of Premiers MUlcriind and Itrlund, whom ho now combats, hut ilsti to his nersnmil situation relative iO Ilrit'.sh circles. What Is happening now confirms my fears. As to American opinion, It seems hard to follow. Tho American press urges Franco not to uhshdii fro.n tliu effort for world solidarity repreaoiuu i 'y the Genoa conference, but appui-antly appui-antly tho American government will refuse to participate In the same effort. |