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Show FRANCE ASSAILED FOR HER POLICIES NATION DISPOSED TO BELIEVE AMERICA IS NOT SINERCE IN PREACHING SACRIFICE Lloyd George Declared to Have Changed Platform; English View Disturbing French. Nations Are Watching Paris France has been marking time the past week. But meanwhile from Germany come provocative articles. From England come contradictory speeches. From America come disconcerting reports. While ' the German press carries on a campaign against French intransigence, intransig-ence, the president of the Reichstag admits In a speech that Wlrth and Rathenau had obtained 40 per cent reduction in the reparations obligations obliga-tions imposed at Versailles. For a long time I have been saying that the reduction amounted to about 50 per cent. This time, however, It is not a Frenchman taking but a German Ger-man In high authority. Tills reduction Blmply means that the French taxpayer must pay what the Germans avoid. The German press chooses this moment to accuse France of crucifying Germany, a re-mark re-mark which does not need comment The approaching elections in England Eng-land bring internal politics to the fore In that country, with unfortunate effects ef-fects upon the foreign policy. David Lloyd George seeks a platform which will enable him to get a majority similar to the one In 1918. His platform plat-form then was "hang the kaiser" and "make Germany pay to the uttermost farthing." Let me merely observe that If Lloyu George Is as faithless to the new Europe as he was to the old, it may be a long time before the recontruction is accomplished. Moreover, without naming him, Lloyd George has made a sharp speech against Premier Poincaire. There is no doubt that M. Polncaire's personality person-ality arouses in England, especially in downing street, mixed setiments. In 1920 Lloyd George complained against Poincaire, then the head of the repar. atlons commission, conducting an an. tiallied campaign in reviews ano newspapers. Again he officially protested, pro-tested, in October, 1021, against Pom. cnlre's publishing of secret peace dot--uments. There is no confidence oi sympathy between Poincaire ana Lloyd George. Their controversy as to the relative merits of the modern conference as against the old diplomacy diplo-macy is not particularly Interesting since it concerns onily the former But the controversy foreshadows dls quieting disagreement about essen. tlals. When Premier Poincaire asked nie to take a portfolio in his cabinet, 1 told him that, while I approved his purposes, I did not think he could uchieve them, because of his controversial contro-versial activities for the last two ano a half years. This alluded not only to the fact that lie constantly approv. ed the acts of Premiers Millerand and Briand, whom he now combats, hut also to his personal situation relative to British circles. Wiliat is happening now confirms my fears. As to American opinion. :t seems hard to follow. The Amerir.ui press urges France not to abstain from the effort for world solidarity representee by tile Genoa conference, hut appai. ently the American government will refuse to participate in the same effort. |