Evening Star Newspaper, May 25, 1924, Page 29

EDITORIAL PA G E 7| NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIAL ARTICLES Part 2—20 Pages BLOCS TO DOMINATE D PARTY RULE FADE? ssue Believed Necessary to Again »amm@olidify Political Forces and 2 Win Domination. ollst UV GOULD LINCOLN. S the day of the “bloc” come and is the party govern- R ment system in this country fading into history? Is the Fovernment to operate through the farm bloe, the manufacturers’ bloc, the prohibition blac, the anti-prohi- bition bloc and other groups repre- sonting particular special inter- €sts? Is old-time party allegiance— which in common parlance means teamwork—going into the discard? Recent bappenings have given rise 10 such speculations. The Congress i< in name a Republican Congress— with majority of Republicans in cach branch. But the Republicans Yave found themselves so split into £roups that the party has been un- able to function. A Republican Presi- dent has urged upon Congress plans for retrenchment of government ex- penditures and for tax reduction. What has been the result? The Con- added to the people’s bur- dens in new expenditures more than $3,000,000,000, inciuding the soldiers' Tonus, which was vetoed by the Pres- ident, but passed over his veto by the votes of the Republican party in Toth h With regard to the taxes the Re- Tublican administration put forward plan for reduction. commonly known as the Mellon plan. But a «oalition of Republicans and Demo- crats upset this plan, and the Demo- cratic compromise plan was finally sdopted. ¢ or a Democratic Situation. The situation with regard to the Tiemocrats is very little different— the only real difference being that the Democrats do not now hold the administrative branch of the govern- ment There are groups within the Demo- cratic party, just as there are within the Republican. That is one reason why the Democrats are expecting ruch a battle over the selection of a yresidential nominee in Madison Square Garden next month. When the various outstanding candidates for the nomination are mentioned, it is a common occurrence to hear those discussing the candidates declare, He can't be nominated because the farmers of the west would oppose him,” or “He can't be nominated be- cause the ‘drys’ would rise against him,” or “He can’t be nominated be- cause the Ku Klux Klan would not stand for it.” And the Democrats are industriously secking for a candidate who will be acceptable to all the various groups in their.own party and in the country. Stronger Than His Party. President Coolidge will be nomi- nated by the Republicans at Cleve- land—not because he is the choice of all the various groups in his party, hut because he has a great majority of the delegates to the national con- vention. It is a fact, however, that President Coolidge is far stronger with all the groups throughout the country than is the Republican party. Tn fact, notwitstanding the drubbing he has reccived on the soldiers’ honus, taxes and other matters from the so-called Republican Congre VLe is declared by many Republicans 1o be the only real asset left to the Re- publican party—their only chance to win a victory at the polls mext fall. i the opinion of close observers the political situation and of in- fuential members of Congress, how- «ver, the party system of government not doomed to fall. History Is only repeating itsof, they point out. Conditions analogous to those exi ing today were found in the decade 1850 to 1860. Tn those days were many groups and many parties. It took great issue—the issue of slavery and secession—to malgamate the irom there a Demands of Society Force 1 Wider Instructional Courses fow education is spreading and how the demands of society are wid- ening the scope and variety of in- struction is shown in reports from all parts of the country which are com- ing in to the United States Bureau of Txducation. Ten Chicago high schools have ewimming tanks and include swim- ming in their course of training. Sixtcen thousand additional seats are to be provided for Chicago school children in 1924 by the erection of the sixteer buildings now under con- ~truction. Kansas State Teachers' College has more calls for teachers of music, with other high school subjects, than for uny other combination. Home economics and agricultural classes co-operate at Trousdale, Kan. The boys killed and dressed a hog for » favmer, and the girls studied the cuts of meat in a very practical way. Th answer to the question, “What <hall T do to be healthy?” the physi- cal welfare department of the Cleve- jand schopls has arranged a series of public lectures on food, amalth habits «nd recreation. A series of nature studies is broad- cast each week from Pennsylvania State College. Studies of birds, trees «nd flowers, animals, insects and even rock formations are included in these 1alks. “A museum in every high school” is 4 new slogan in Kansas. Local his- tory and the botany and geology of the respective localities are the sub- jcots to be emphasized. The collec- rions are to be made by the pupils to tmulate interest in their studies. Many high schools have found mu- ums 8o conducted to be of great valge. | fighting, forceful organization bring about the lican party. It will take a great issue today to bring about such amalgamation, to weld together the various groups found in both the major parties and in the many smaller parties now preventing decisive control of the government by any. Some of the Republicans believe that such an issue has been found by President Coolidse—the issue of re- trenchment of government expendi- tures and the reduction of the tax burden. Some of the Democrats, on the other hand, believe that they have found a great issge growing out of the gov- ernment scandals revealed during the congressional investigations of the last few months, topped by the sSo- called oil scandal and the scandals of the Department of Justice. The truth of the matter is that out- side of such administrative issues as mentioned, there is com- vely little difference between Republican and Democratic par- s of today. And without differ- in principle, there remains only the issue of the “outs” and the “ins —with the goal the tremendous | amount of federal patronage, the| great salary rolls, ete. | What has become of the old states | rights issue—popularly supposed to be the great issue of the Democratic | party (called long ago the Repub- lican-Democratic party in opposition | to the Federalist party, which be-!| lieved in a strong centralized federal | government)? How many Democrats | voted for the women's suffrage amendment to the Constitution? How many voted for the prohibition amendment? For the so-called ma- ternity bill, and for many other meas- ures which have tended to centralize power in the federal government in| ‘Washington? Federal Rule So-called progressive which the constitutional amendments referred to are examples, on examina- tion tend to strengthen the federal government more and more, at the expense of the state governments. What has become of the old free- trade-and-tariff-for-revenue-only is- sue of the Democratic party, as op- posed to the protective tariff of the Republicans? It exists largely in name only, although the Democrats | undoubtedly would reduce many of the tariff schedules if they had the| power. But they would never agree to free trade in regard to many of the country’'s industries. It is admitted that there are great| problems in this country awaiting solution, many of them relating to industry, transportation and com-| merce; that the growth of the b ness of the country has outstripped government; that new methods of | dealing with business are needed through laws. These are the prob- lems which to a very large extent are creating the division of the peo- ple into groups and legislative blocs. Problems of Early Days In the earlier days of the republic the problems of industry, agriculture and commerce—economic problems all—created just such divisions of the | people into groups and blocs, though | they were not called blocs, a term | borrowed recently from KEurope. | There existed the Know VothnK] Pparty, for example, which had its| secrets, just as the Ku Klux K_la.nl has today, and which, because of its secrets, finally was discredited. There is little doubt-but what the people of the country are aroused today over heavy government expen- ditures, which mean, turn, heavy taxes. The people, as individuals, business interests, all are anxious for a reformation. The stressing of this issue by President Coolidge will go far toward welding the Republican party into a birth of the Repub. the ti ence, Strengthened. measures, ¢f i i | Copics of regulations for street safe- ty distributed among the children of the Quincy School, Boston, not only helped the children to understand how to use the streets, but were the means of helping their parents to learn some of the ways of their new country. The school is in a congested part of the city, and includes children of thirty different nationalities. 1 Eighteen schools of Providence have entered a contest in bringing under- weight pupils up to normal. The progress of cach school is indicated by a device showing a miniature race track. Each school is represented by a tiny automobile, which moves for- ward to correspond with the relative percentage of the pupils who have gained weight. A practice house or motel cottage is a part of the general equipment of home economics in all vocational schools of Oregon. perience in all the fundamentals of the household—food preparation, housecleaning, laundry and sewing. The food-preparation classes give the actual experience of buying and pre- paring for a number of persons. The girls are taught the spending value of the dollar, principles of house dec- oration, child care and home nursing. s In order to qualify as a member of the board of trustees of the Eastern state penitentiary in Pennsylvania. W. Curtis Bok, son of Edward W. Bo! arranged to spend two weeks as a “conviet” and live as a prisoner in @ cell in the institution. His idea is to obtain first hand Information and be better qualified to sit as a trustee. who he is | shevists. Each girl has ex- [ W BY ROBERT T. SMALL. TURNING from a ten-day the great American hinterland, writer has brought back with him a impression of They are dis- deeply engraved discontent of the people. contented in a confused sort of Wrong to suppose that they are not interested ics and not talking it. The smokerooms in poli of the trains hum with it. The lol hotels are beehives of political discussion. The women are meeting at luncheons and teas, and threshing it all out. The most casual survey of the country finds the people, not only discontented w been going at Washington, but do not know they are going to express this re- sentment, but the desire to exprers it some- is a condition and not u theory that the two_big political parties have things have resentful as well. Just how They how and somewhere got to deal with. It does not take a seer to a platform containing only the Pplague on both your olfl houses.” he would find a following which might easily foundations from under one or both of the American life. Cannot Succeed. however, does not exist. Senator La Follette cannot get away with it grand political of La Follette divisions This personalit He has caught the imagination of ited number of persons in apparently is no one else to Consequently the of the two old parties. The developments in Washington have been so long drawn out that even the ligent types of men and women lost grasp their significance. They are ASHINGTON, D. C., see that personality of the Roosevelt type were to take the field this year on a thiry party ticket and narrow belt. There lead the cause. resentment must find expression at the polls within one or the other track of them or have failed utterly to "EDITORIAL SECTION - The Sundiy Staf Discontent Now Sweeping Over U. S.; Congress Is Target for Resentment trip into the the way. It is bbys of the their minds, of public opinion. ith the way S'NNIng tor have as yet in any other way. ¥ if a words “'a speeches, people tion™ lauding him SEcEustho in the coming have caused, The especially is quite only a lim- and which explain. it is going its est contact with the more intel- have either sacredness looking for some one to tell them the A B C of ‘it all over again, The campaign orators this fall are going to find the most fallow flelds that ever were set before them, and are going to face more voters ready to be swayed one way or another, regardless of previous party convic- tions, than at any time in history. In a general way, the people are inclined to blame Congress for the confused state of for the confused condition of legislation, for the confused condition of gov- ernment affairs, and for a confused condition The growing out of this maze of confusion, is be- its effect in business lines, and this is arousing added resentment, the effect cannot be analyized or accounted for not Understand Leaders. The people of the hinterland cannot unde; stand why it is that they read day after day of the Republican United States Senate be- ing arrayed against the Republican President. It is especially confusing to them to see the republican senators voting against President Coolldge and then going out to make publ of the Democrats, while it may be de- plored in some instances for the delay it may antics and the tactics of the Republicans, the so-called “leaders” ate, are the things which are not understood 1t is perhaps a harsh word to say, but one quickly gets the impression even in the slight- people at large, of an ever-growing contempt for Congress. contempt which does not augur well for the of American the sanctity of the co-ordinate branches of our constitutional government MAY ship, beclouded situation, for trickery, 25, 1924. President Coolidge’s chances in the coming election depend entirely upon how far he can disassociate himself from responsibility for latter-day conditions in Congress—how well he can explain the inability of the Executive at this time to exert the proper sort of leader- or dlctatorship, legislative branch, Trickery Senators and representatives who have made recent brief visits to their constituents have had a foretaste of what is in store for them at home. Juggling with the bonus, Wwith the taxes, juggling with farm relief, jug- gling with government expenditures and pro- posed juggling with in it you will, over the wettien People. juggling the, short—have tarift—legislative had an unsettling effect upon the people and upon business. Many voters, who in 1915 and 1920 loudly as the savior clection. The of th “opposi generally understood Republican in the Sen- know that to be very difficult to Congress It is a giously. Republican institutions, or for and s: cheered the idea that Congress should be freed from the executive will, nation of the President, are outspokenly wish- ing today that some one in its place, it ought to do and keeping it from doing the things it ought not to do. People Ready to Strike. Republican leaders in the various states are walting anxiously for word from W as to how the acts of the Republican leaders in Congress and the views of the President in the White House are to b freed from the domi- could put Congress making it do quickly the things shington reconciled in the national platform. These leaders the people are anxious to strike out in some direction. They believe that direc- | Hopex Not Realized. i tion will be toward Congress, but how far can be President be made certain of election? That is the worry today, The Democruts meantime are smiling prodi- They condemned and a Republican and it is a very real one. love the predicament of brothers. their But when you ask them what they are going to do at New York they shrug their shoulders v they do not know. Poland, Surrounded by Foes, Advances; Problems Met in Reclaiming Nation BY GEORGE R. WITTE. ARSAW—Poland, geograph- ically, occupies perhaps the most difficult position in Europe. She may be said to be surrounded by countries inimical to her. German and Rus- sian feelings toward her are neither kindly nor tolerant. To the north is Lithuania, whose ancient capital, V. na, Poland hoids. A state of passive warfare exists between the two countries. To the south are Czecho- slovakia and Hungary, which enter- tain no real friendship for the Polish republic, & fact that has kept Poland from being too deeply mixed up with | the little entente. Poland regards France as her prin- cipal ally, but has made overtures to Italy and Rumania as possible friends in times of need The recent Baltic conference, in which Esthonia, Latvia, Finland and Poland took part, was a failure so far as practical results toward establish- ing a defensive alliance among the four states were concerned. As a matter of fact Poland's attitude to- ward the existing alliance between Esthonia and Latvia was so vague that those countries are considering Lithuania as a more likely ally than Poland. Better Relations With Russia, For the first four or five years of her independence TPoland regarded Russia with great suspicion, but the relations between the two countries have improved since the signing of the' treaty of Riga, and it is note- | worthy that this year, for the first time since’ 1918, there has not been the usual seare about a bolshevist in- vasion of Polish territory. Not much business is carried on between the | two countries, however, and condi- | tions on the whole are so unsettled that it is impossible to say definitely whether the Riga treaty is a success. The lack of business is due princi- pally to the disorganization of the Russian railroads, according to Polish authorities. Only one train a week connects the capitals of the two countries. Recently the Poles arrested scores of communists who were accused of being in the pay of the Russian bol- Tons of propaganda were confiscated in Warsaw and in other cities, but in official sources the dan- ger of a gerious red outbreak in Po- land is discounted. At the time of the bolshevist drive on Warsaw in 1920 there was no inclination on the part of the masses in Poland to Join the bolshevists. It is said that an at- tempt is being made by the bolshe- vists to take advantage of the pres- ent unfavorable industrial situation to get the unemployed and short-time ‘workers to disavow the present sov- ernment. Thus far this movement has been unsuccessful. Dificulties in Silesia. nce part of Upper Silesia was given to Poland after the plebiscite in 1921 conditions: there have taken a tum for the worse, principal- 1y on account of the high taxes and duties imposed by the Polish govern- ment. It is admitted here that on ac- count of the high taxes coal from Polish Upper Silesia cannot compete with English coal, which is delivered at Danzig at virtually half the price charged by the Polish mines. Many Silesian mines are being worked only half time and there is an inclination on the part of Polish mine owners to turn the properties over to foreign capitalists. \ There is no indication of Poland's willingness to yield to Lithuania's de- mands for a return to Vila. And as Poland is the stronger it is considered to be up to Lithuania to propose a settlement of this question that will be acceptable to Poland. So far as the Niemén question is concerned Poland is taking a merely formal interest in it, but she would along the lines suggested by the com- into the earth. in the Polish breast. of tremendous proportions have statesmen But Daily political, News, mission under Norman Davis, which investigated this problem recently for the league of nations. Recent disturbances in Galicia, par- ticularly in Lemberg, which are as- cribed to the Ukrainians there, show the vicissitudes marking reorganization and advance. been Poland has surmounted them and reorganization there has been rewelded a public determination place Poland’s name among the foremost in the galaxy of nations. George R. Witte, special correspondent of The Star and Chicago has just visited Poland and reveals social and economic conditions in POLAND, THE NATION REBORN Of the nations in eastern Europe none a’e’ watched closer from the standpoint of sentimental interest. Under the heels of mightier neighbors Poland once was crushed Liberty was stultified. but patriotic fervor always burned brightly Polish folk bided their time. the great war Poland, as a nation. In settlement of Many have been Impediments in the pathway of her in the period of was born again. hurled to in this Poland today. article He tells the dangers before Poland and of her present trying problems.—Editor. again that Poland has the same diffi- cult problems to contend with as have other countries with forelgn minorities. Whereas the Jewish mi- nority in Poland is content with rais- ing questions of a purely local char- GERMANS WOULD DODGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WAR French in Clear-cut Review Refute Claims Now Sent Out From Berlin. BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN. OSSIBLY to strengthen the Na- tionalist cause in Germany it- self, partially to pave way for prolonged German deliberation in the adjustment of reparations ac- counts, using the Dawes reparations report as a basis—but at any rate gaining a period of bargaining with the allies—there has gone forward from Berlin a very definite attempt to discredit the treaty of Versailles. Coupled with this there is evident ef- fort to prove Germany guiltless in causing the great European holo- caust, at least hold the allies par- tially to blame for the catastrophe which admittedly rocked the very foundation stones of European civi- lization. To the informed the German at- tempt is discounted. But many memories have been dimmed by time, and judgments, therefore, might be biased in the wave of German propa- ganda disseminated in all countries having anything to do directly or in- directly with the war. The United States has not escaped this tide. The French government has taken the lead among the allies to combat the Germanic thesis so inappropri- ately thrust forward for international consideration at the moment. In a statement which has been issued com bating Germanic contentions, the whole question, “who caused the war?" has been aired by the French in defense of the allied cause and in upholding the principles of democracy so tenaciously clung to by Germany's enemies. The French thesis is timely at this juncture if it does nothing more than fortify world opinion in the face of a very evident attempt to pervert public viewpoints. It makes clearer some of the reasons why the allies were forced and willing to go through four years of terrible strife. French View of Causes. . The statement follows: “First of all, when assessing the blame for the world war, one should never forget how the German govern- ment declared war in 1914, first Other convicts do not know prefer to see Memel internationalized | against Russia and then against “The plain facts are that in August, 1914, the ultimatum, follow- ed by a declaration of war, was not delivered by the French ambassador in Berlin to the German government, but by the German ambassador in Paris to the French government. And we must just recall in which cir- cumstances this was done. “At the very time when France and England were multiplying their sincere and conciliatory efforts, their proposals for conferences, their schemes for mediation, Herr von Schoen, the German ambassador in France, called at the French foreign office and asked M. Viviani, then premier of France and foreign minis- ter, to declare, within eighteen hours, whether France would remain neu- tral in the event of a war between Germany and Russia. This is already significant enough, and in 1918, after the French cipher service had suc- ceeded in decoding certain German documents which had previously es- caped its attention, or efforts, it be- came known that the German am- bassador had been instructed to de- mand as security the handins over to Germany of the French eastern fortress of Verdun and Toul, which were to be occupied by German troops for the whole duration of hostilities (German documents concerning the origin of the war, No. 491). “It is true that the German am- bassador did not see fit to carry out those extraordinary instructions which would have too clearly shown at the time that Germany wanted, through such an unbearable humilia- tion, to force war upon France, as, at the same moment, France was calling Germany's attention to the British proposals that military preparations should be discontinued on all sides (German documents No. 571). Declares Statp of War. “Suddenly, on August 3 at 1:05 p.m., the imperial chancellor telegraphed to his ambassador in Paris (German doc- uments No. 734) requesting him to declare that Germany considered her- self in a state of war with France ‘becanse French troops had crossed | acter, the Ukrainian minority clamors for a plebiscite and its independence. The Ruthenfans, or white Russians, | are making little trouble at present, | but in the eastern provinces of soviet Russia there is a great demand that White Russia be incorporated in the | soviet state. A foreign office official said to me | that it would be another four or five | years before Poland's external and | internal affairs were settled in such a way as to be stisfactory to Polish government and Poland’s 000,000 citizens. All who accu the 30,- | I nd of militarism do her an injustice, according to Gen. Vladislay Sikorski, Polish minister of war, who explained to me the rea- sons why Poland had an army of almost 300,000 and could not reduce the number. “The Polish army now consists thirty infantry divisions of three regiments each and ten cavalry bri- gades, and the country is divided into ten military districts,” said Gen. korski. “The numerical strength times of peace is approximately 000 men. During the last bolshevist war we had under arms about 1,000, 000 men who have been gradually de- mobilized, the army having been placed on a peace basis. in in view of the unsettled economic conditions the minister of war authorized to grant.to soldiers ‘agri- cultural leave of absence’ and even to discharge them before their two vears are up. In that case they be- come members of the reserves. “Volunteers who enlisted in 1920 and are now of draft age are not re- leased from the compulsory service. The necessity of bringing up the training standard and of registering all members of the reserves compels the supreme military authorities to conscript all former volunteers, but, of course, they are grapted far-reach- ing privileges. Well Trained and Equipped. “In 1920 the army was mobilized: today it is on a peace footing. The basic difference between these two armies is not only in their numerical strength; it is also in the fact that many military institutions and or- ganizations needed during the war are not active now, since the duty ofy an army in peace time is training- training—training! I repeat the word because the logical conclusion is that we should have as many of these students as possible learn the proper trade of soldiers—namely, how to use weapons. “Our army of 1920 was well known to foreign correspondents. Of our army today I can say without exag- gerated self-praise that it is well trained and well equipped, especially if due consideration is given to the difficult financial situation of our young republic. My opinion has been confirmed by those of such well known foreign experts as Marshal Foch and Gen. Lord Cavan. “In ‘spite of our recognition of the great importance of technical means in modern warfare, the all-important services of the tank corps, of avia- tion, and so forth, we are compelled to restrict our activities in this di- rection, as all technical improve- ments call for considerable expense and are within reach of only the wealthier states. For that reason these branches we are developing on only a small scale. ‘Why Poland Needs Peact “It is my opinion that the numerical strength of the Polish army has been reduced to a level below which we may not go if we care for the safety of our bordtrs. A peace army is only a preparatory school, training citizens to become soldiers in the future. We aro still far outdistanced as regards the strength of reverves by states that took the leadership in the world Continued on Seventeenth Page.) (Continued on Third Page.) |the treaty of Versailles, | championea, ot | Compulsory | military service lasts two years, but | is ! Says BY FRANK H. SIMONDS. | OW that the surprise over the French elections returns has passed away, it is both possible and perhaps useful | to examine this amazing phenomenon at close range. It cannot. however, be studied by ftself, for it was un- mistakably the result of things which in part took place outside of France, notably the arrival of a Labor gov- ernment in Great Britain and the ap- pearance of a Dawes report in Paris Five and a half years ago, the world war having come to its end rather ab- ruptly, men and women in many countries were discussing the future in terms of the past, which had been well nigh intolerable. Mr. Wilson's famous phrape about “making the | world safe for democracy” was on | many millions of tong nd people | | of most nations were hoping and be- lieving that the peace which was to | be made would be a peace which would register the triumph of demo- cratic ideas and open the way to a {world dominated by liberal concep- tions. The thing did not turn out as peo- ple hoped and believed. Instead, all the great democracies of the west, including our own, were swept by a wave of reaction. The Parliaments |electea in Britain, immediately after the armistice in December, 1918; that chosen in France after the making of in 1919, and Congress and the Presi in the United States in and, re- | finally the ldent chosen 1920 represented conservative so far as Europe was concerned, actionary principles It is patent that events materially contributed to the char- acter of the governmens chosen in | western nations, and even more to the | in Russia policies pursued by western democra- cles for the first years of peace. The men who dominated in France and in Great Britain were men who had lit- tle real sympathy or even patience with the ideas which Mr. Wilson had and the gave point to thei Aside from Russia the first nations to “go” democratic or perhaps more | exactly radical were Germany and Italy. How far the German change was real, how far a deliberate cffort to | deceive the conqueror and invite easier | terms, matter for debate. Cer- tainly fell short of the ap- pearance. At the outset only Ttaly seemed to have the whole dis- tance and to have invited socialism in | a form which had direct inspiration | from Moscow. Agnin Turn Conservative Then, by he countries is a the reality gone an 0dd colncidenec at least, | wh radical | We saw coming of h his mo, seizing power by something 1y approximating a revolution, but a revolution made bv the Right, by the Conservatives, and finally legalized by the still recent Italian election. Then we saw the drift to right in Germany moving steadily and impressively until | it culminated in the recent election, | which a transformation the extent of which remains difficult to measure, but the direction of which was and is patent. | Meantime in England Liloyd George, mainly supported by Tories, ruled for | four years. Little by little he lost the | support of the Liberals; that of Labor | was lost from the start. In the end | he became solely the creature, not | merely of the Tories but of Tory prin- | ciples, although in his own heart he was always hoping for a chance to | form a middle, moderate party draw- ing from Liberal and Tory. In the end this aspiration wrecked him. Failing abroad, he was over- thrown at home by the more conserva- | tive wing of the Tory party, which rejoiced in the significant name of “die-hard.” Then power passed to Bonar Law, who had heen the titular leader of the old Tory party; from him | it devolved upon Stanley Baldwin, also a “die-hard,” while the foreign office and foreign policy passed to the con- trol of V nt Curzon of the same Tory tradition. Xbas pesiunine with jichel skl election” of December, 1918, and last- ing right down to the generel election of last autumn, a period of five years, reaction dominated in Great Britain, and, following the Bonar Law election late in 1922, its control has been absolute. Situstion In The situation in France was meas- urably different. Clemenceau was a radical, but in the last analysis he was Clemenceau, and he dominated by virture of the fact that he was Clemenceau. When he retired, after the treaty of Versailles, he as de- nied the presidency because he had refused to follow the advice of Foch and Poincarc in making the treaty of peace; that is, to put-it simply, he had listened to Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson rather than to Frenchmen of the Poincare and Foch opinion. But the French parliament chosen in 1919 was a reactionary parliament, comparable in the main to that chosen in England in the Khaki election, some months earlier. It was a parlia- ment committed to maintaining for France the fruits of the victory, such fruits as remained after the treaty of Versailles. It began with a Mil- lerand cabinet, but Millerand shortly after became president of the repub- lic; then came Leygues cabinet, which was but a makeshift; then came Briand. Now Briand is by political habit a conservative radical. He started as a socialist of the extreme type, as did Millerand, but, like the presi- dent, he has been marching to the right all the time he has been climb- ing to the top. But, all things con- sidered, he is amoderate, vastly more France. | tion moderate than the chamber of depu- ties which for a time sustained him, CHANCE OF REAL PEACE IN EUROPE ENHANCED Liberal Allied Governments Have Better Prospect of Co-ordinated Effort, Writer. far more who pres Briand mode; ntly 11 ate than Puincare overturned him he the people the chamber in particular, felt that George was steadily depriving of the fruits of her gigantic fices and playing a against her. It conviction of the that only Poincare Lloyd George was called, and long as the life ber itselr. s rench Freneh Llovd rance sacri- wame settled chamber cope with finally Poincare his r endured as of the sitting cham- as whole, German the French could became Poincare proved Lioyd George, and after he came to power Lloyd George fell, largely because of the skillful neuvering of Poincarc. The fall good thing for the world, be- use as long as Lloyd George re- mained in Downing street all chance of Franco-British friendship was at an end. But when Poincare came the Germans, encouraged by British and French quarrelings, had refused to continue reparations payments, and occupation of the Ruhr had become inevitable, The occupation of the Ruhr, how- ever, permanently alienated Britain from France while Poincare re- mained prime minister. British hos- tility to Poincare promptly took on the national character that French hostility to Lioyd George had long had. But it was impossible that France should dismiss Poincare while the Ruhr conflict was going on while French conviction continued that British statesmanship was en- gaged in depriving France of her legitimate rights under the treaty of Versailles. All France, speaking gen- erally, backed the occupation of the Ruhr, and was thus Poincare. to cope with less than a year or committed 1 New Conditionx Arise When, however, British pow-r passed to Ramsay MacDonald situation arose. Britain had “gone” liberal, radical, what you m; please to call it. In that way it had broken with the war and the war policy; it chosen a pacifist as pre- mier, and this pacifist was in turn @ new definite | committed to a policy of pacification On the other hand, he disclosed fact that he was animated by tility to France; that he was straightforward and simple. he had been in office many weeks had a in Paris and wa as Lloyd the vnd of th no hos- honest, Befor: good press in France heen popular had not war Meantime all F unmistakably Georg ance s the fact that th world, speaking generally, had coms to regard Poincar militarist, and France as a reactionary country given over to a policy of revenge and determined Germany, using the treaty of Versailies as a weapon and the occupation of the Ruhr as an opportunity. Poincare became as world figure sinister than Bismarck himself. France suffered for Moreover, Poincare showed himself increasingly rigid and obstinate and made grave blunders on policy which were only atoned for the fact that in the field of foreigt affairs he still expressed the will of France, albeit with a degree of provo cation which gave sceming confirma- to the foreign estimate of hin Moreover—and the fact is of utmos ignificance—France was steadily br coming more and more anxious f peace—that is, for a settlement Wrecked By Dawes Body. It was the Dawes commission—{, which Poincare was mainly respon- sible—which in the end wrecked the Lorrainer. As long as the case scemed to Frenchmen to be one supporting the French claim against a world which sought to deprive France of her rights, of security and reparation, which appeared 1o b willing to let Germany go scott-free and France fall into defenseless bank- ruptey. Franee—all parties, or enougl of the members of cach party by Poincare. But the Dawes report for the first time gave the French financial claims and French reparation rights a sat- isfactory international foundation on the economic side. It declared that Germany could pay largely and pro- vide ways and means for the payment The debate over the ability of Ger- many was ended. French claims were vindicated, not in a political court, but in a conference of economic experts Poincare had said Germany could pay; he had held his ground in the face of all the arguments that Ger- many was bankrupt and reparations a figment of the imagination. But when the Dawes committee had vin- dicated the Poincare claim. then th real usefulness of Poincare had ter- minated. At last the moment had arrived when the French could dispense with the strong man, to defend their rights; strength, unfortunately aroused British and even Americ: criticism and roused German reaction to the war pitch. Poincare could not get along with Britain, or, more ex- actly, Britain could not get on with Poincare; but here in the Dawes re- port was a basis of co-operation be- tween the two countries, with a sat- isfactory promise of the substantial payment by Gérmany of the neces- sary reparations. What simpler, then, than to drop Poincare as Clem- enceau had, in fact, been dropped. Alarmed by Prejudice. Bear in mind that the mass the Frenchmen during the period of break between Great Britain and France had made up their minds that France must in the end work with Britain or get nothing. Bear in mind, also, that u surprising number of e to the conclu- ontinued on Third Page) ering s a to destroy a more it and felt it domesti by ood fecessary