Show D Personalities Still Affect Relationships of Nations i. i Strain Between and De Complicates Between Postwar Understanding Two Great Powers I By BAUKHAGE I 1 ft News Analyst and Commentator Service Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C Some years ago that highly scientific scion scion- I organization the Smithsonian institution institution institution in in- discussed the possibility of ofa a relationship between sun spots and wars It was carefully explained that sun spots which are really great explosions on the suns sun's surface surface sur sur- face ace affected the weather on the earth and frequently bad weather in in turn affected the dispositions of human human human hu hu- hu- hu man beings and might conceivably bly render national leaders less amenable to reason and more likely likely likely like like- ly to get their countries into trouble At first glance that seems rather fetched far but the fact that a clash of personalities canS canS' can S' S affect the course of nations today almost almost al almost al- al most as much as it f did when people fought at the whim of a king has been S h brought out strikingly striking striking- 1 ly in Franco Ameri y y can relations There isn't much question that the President common interests of I Roosevelt France and the United States would be better served if one Franklin Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt could cc get get along better with 4 one o n e Charles De Of course it is only fair to say that there are others who dont don't get along with the tall handsome and aristocratic aristocratic aris aris- French gen gen- eral It is no secret Gen De that o 0 one n e Josef Stalin although he arranged a highly advantageous treaty with France including some even more advantageous private understanding with De had no desire to invite invite in in- vite ite him to Yalta But the Roosevelt-De Roosevelt differences differences differences differ differ- seem to be recurrent and just when everybody thought after the tatters lasers visit to Washington when he faas understood to have given his colleagues in France the impression I that the visit was highly satisfactory satisfactory satisfactory tory to him came the answer I III regret to Roosevelt's sil sn pIa plais is and the meetIng meeting meeting meet meet- ing on the Presidents President's cruiser off ilk Algiers did not take place Etiquette Poses Difficult Problem In diplomatic circles it has been carefully explained that De could not accept an invitation from froma a peregrinating president to call upon him in French territory which it was explained was a sort of come down and have a picnic with me in your backyard Im I'm too busy to call on you in your parlor To which American diplomatic circles explained it wasn't an invitation in- in int invitation to De to come to Algiers Algiers Al- Al t- t giers which is French territory but butI butan an invitation to call on the President President President I dent aboard a U U. c S. S warship which is American territory etre was the reply but the chief of a great power indeed an empire cannot be expected to be treated any better than the rulers of such minor domains as Arabia I Egypt or Ethiopia royal-blooded royal I though they be Roosevelt entertained enter- enter I tamed the gentlemen earlier There the discussion bogged down in in mutual chagrin with all but two of the leading French newspapers newspapers newspapers pers one conservative and one communist insisting that De was right and the apologists for Roosevelt explaining that the President President President dent could not undertake what probably probably probably ably would have amounted to a visit of state and a triumphal tour of France when he had a war warf 4 it f to win It was also recalled that one thing Mr Roosevelt prides himself v on avoiding is making the misi mistakes mistakes mis- mis i takes Wilson did Wilson received a ar af f r i t wild ovation in France and Italy BEFORE BEFORE BE- BE FORE the conference and ii peace f J suffered the he results of a most pain- pain painful fc N ful reaction afterward How great a part Roosevelt's failure failure fail fall ure to pay a visit to De Dc in Paris played in motivating the generals general's generals general's generals general's gen gen- eral's refusal or if it were the chief cause how much was personal pique on the part of De and how much a feeling that his n nation tion had been slighted it is impossible to say My own impression garnered gar gar- from conversations with persons thoroughly familiar with the I French attitude is that difficulties I were expected to arise in Franco Franco- American relations the moment it I became clear that France was not invited to participate in the counsels counsels coun coun- sels of the Big Three It was not expected that the role her armies are able to play would make her eligible to join the military councils at Yalta but the French were ardently ardent ardent- ly desirous of having a place at the general negotiations which made up the second part of the parleys General General Gen eral De was in no mood when he received the Presidents President's invitation to brook what he considered considered consid ered a further slight It was clear on the other hand that the President felt he had sound practical reasons for omitting any visit to Paris before the San Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco meeting He also felt there were sound practical reasons for a a. a conversation with De He said there were a number of points that had to be cleared up which required required required re re- re- re French action before the United Nations meeting could be beheld held Indeed I imagine he felt that he was showing especial regard to France when he offered to review the accomplishments at Yalta personally personally per per- I for De Comments I On Prima Donnas i I That is supposed to account foi the extemporaneous remarks he inserted inserted in in- in his report to congress about prima donnas Those remarks which were universally universally uni uni- interpreted as applying to toDe toDe toDe De came as a distinct shock and immediately afterward Senator Brewster publicly labeled them injudicious injudicious injudicious in judicious i iI I was following the text of the official official cial release in m the house ouse radio gallery gallery gal gal- lery as the President spoke and had noted the many departures which he tossed off as familiar asides and which helped to give his talk the intimate note he desired But I was startled at what he said following the text as it dealt with an agreement with Yugoslavia He read the sentence We hope that I it is in the process of fulfillment I and then he looked up and with just justa a touch of what verged on sarcasm sarcasm in his voice remarked But it is not only that but in some other places we have to remember there are a great number of prima donnas inthe in inthe I the world all who wish to be heard Before anything will be done we wee I may have a little delay while we I listen to more prima donnas p That startled me as I said but I must say I did not at first think he could mean De That seemed impossible However as others others oth I ers mentioned it I began to take it for granted for I knew that until the procedure of voting as agreed upon at Yalta was approved by France the agreement could not be I I announced There were other things upon which France had to be consulted con con 1 I I suited in advance of the meeting as well The French ambassador who was I seated in the diplomatic gallery showed no sign whatever that he was affected by the words and later he is said to have told a friend that it was hardly likely that the prima donna reference could have been meant to apply to France since the President had completed his com corn comment ment on what disposition of French interests had been made and had moved on to another topic Yugo Yugo- slavia That of course is a good alibi And it is necessary that there be bean bean bean an alibi for I am convinced that had there been even unofficial admission ad mission that the President was hitting at De a really difficult difficult cult situation would arise It is known that although many people consider the general what the French call the French do not call De that and his friends and admirers are warm in m their loyalty and would instantly instant instant- ly resent any unfavorable comment on his condu conduct t. t I No serious difficulties are expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to arise between the United States and md France but some of their I common troubles in the past show that there is much difference between be tween foreign relations bolster them with protocol as you will and personal relations after all |