Show ivi i vi I 1 NATIONAL AFFAIRS T 1 t WRITTEN FOR TUC PURK PIRK RECORD KB CORD BY PRANK FRANIC P LITSCHERT 3 iii written tor for the park record by FRANK 11 most alos it americans are at a loss to understand stand the tha recent outburst ot of M clemenceau on the american debt the commissions of 0 the french and the americans had drawn up an agreement which seemed generally satisfactory and there BBS as every indication that it would be latif ratified led by the french parliament the letter ot of the old tiger therefore 0 re came as a sor sort t 0 ot shock to most ot of us as alty it is genera generally accepted by most international ter 1 1 authorities that baity politics pol i bics tics was war behind M clemenc CIemence ea aus u s letter lie he represents the extreme nationalists who nho are opposed to paying the debt they are now out of power and it is more than likely that AT clemenceau wrote his big letter entirely for ho home me consumption tion to rouse un the so super per patriots create an issue and it if possible get back into complete power americans will understand under that strange things are done some times in the name of politics the plea ot of AT clemenceau Clemenc Clemene cau though calculated to arouse the french jines goes g 0 at home 11 orne was not entirely logi cal nobody in america has any idea ot of taking g away french territory or partite Par partitioning titi cuing france as the old tiger suggests this was undoubtedly for french home consumption nor are iw we asking tor for blood bonfy uncle sam only wants a part dart ot of what is due him ile he expect to collect it all and he lias virtually canceled about halt the debt and this half significantly enough just about represents what france borrowed while the fight was on the talk about blood money is therefore entirely beside the issue I 1 4 4 and actually aside from their financial crisis the people of fronce seem to be a bout about the best oft off in material things of any of 0 the euro nations which took part lu in the war iwar there are no idle men in france and most of the people seem to have money the shortage of 0 man power Is attracting immigrants front from other countries and french foreign trade is on the increase and aside the money loaned to france it is to he be remembered that the americans spent millions and hund hundreds rods of 0 millions in the con coun it by during the aar ar and immediately thereafter in addition to that are now being spent by american tourists in spite of the tact fact that they are often being insulted by the native po population it is true that there is a financial crisis but this has been brought about by the indisposition of the government givern ment to face the post postwar war issues and by thi ill curse of 0 bloc politics a curse which affects nearly every country in europe 0 O 0 it Is different therefore in the light of actual conditions to visualize 0 a picture of an american shylock trying to wrest blood money from a bankrupt prostrate fran france C e america went into the war without the hope of material gain her limies and her government ont only defendi ed franchs frenchs Fren clas oil and helped to clear it of the eneny enen nv but left lh imin un deeds of millions in france and assisted that country not only to drive out the invader but to secure alsace and lorraine the two rich provinces dahich were after all the choice prizes of the war it is true that prance france had a claim to these pro vince sv before the war but it is doubtful whether the claim would ever have been executed had it not been for sturdy american doughboy and the government behind him 0 aw the picture of actual conditions in france franca and england today is entirely favorable v to france and yet Engl england arld is is paying so it is a little difficult tor for us to follow the argument of al clemenceau the most charitable way to regard his note is to attribute it to french domestico domestics politics and as a maneuver in french politics it will be understood and discounted by the french leaders vilio are in favor of paying their obligations 0 c ap the is no longer a measure of prices to the consumer if you dont believe this just compare the prices of 0 articles in the american birket pirket pir ket on the protected list nith those one the tree free list some of the comparisons may astonish you |