FRENCH VIEW.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1922, Page 2

FRENCH VIEW.

M. POINCARE’S SPEECH. IUSTRAi.IAN AND N Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.

PARIS, Aug 21. in tlie course of a- speech at an unveiling ceremony on the Voie Sacree, at Par le T)uc, the Frcfach Premier,

if. Poincare, declared i —“ Britain has only said that her unemployment has lost her foreign trade. She lias misunderstood France’s financial difficul-

ties. M. Poincare • complained that every one of the In ter Allied compromises during the last three years has been at France’s expense. Britain, has made repeated interventions to prevent every effort of France to exert pressure on Germany to pay. j Since the armistice, the Allies, little j by little, had ghowil less political solidarit.v. Some of the nations were more imperialistic than France, and had accused France of desiring domination. France did not want land. She only wonted the execution of the payment of the war damages. Some of the Allies, he said, did not always understand these simple claims.

Sometimes—feeling more insecure than did France against Bolshevism —other Allies thought they could kill this evil by means of sterile negotiations. At other times, they saw only their own paralysed industries aiid they desired them to find foreign markets, and at any price. “And this,” he said, “is both natural and inevitable; hut what I, and France, 'cannot understand is why, during tlic last three years, in the peace treaty, as well as in the conventions following it, the agreement most often reached has Ifeen one at the expense of France. It is useless to recall the lbng list Of deceptions that have been inflicted on France by the concessions made in favour of tiermany, through the successive whittling down of our claims, and tke opposition placed in our path. lie have advised the enforcing of the sane- ' tions It appears to France as if some I of the Allies want to prevent her havj ing any French policy. The British i Government is certainly animated by j a friendly intention, but it has failed to realise the seriousness of our finan-

cial position In an otherwise courteous note. Britain reminds us that we are in debt to England. Such a claim has surprised us when it is made at the same moment as Germany has announced an inability to pay. Britain has supported lier. With all her dead and all her devastation has not France’s voice been worthy of a hearing when theft: is n discussion on the '(Reparations? -Must France always how before the will of a majority of the Allies who are less interested than France is?

,M. Poincare declared that Germany

herself was responsible lor the collapse of the mark, which the German Government, and bankers and manufacturers have deliberately organised. “She has defaulted,” he said, md I have proposed that the Allied Governments should, collectively enforce the penalties; but the instructions that have been given by some of the AUies have always been exceptionally lenient. They, perhaps, respect the letter of the peace treaty, hut they nave constantly abused the spirit of it. ’ Continuing M. Poincare said:—“lt would be monstrous if the Rcpara-

tion-s due from Germany were to bo confounded with the Inter-ARied, debts. The former, he pointed out, must have the priority.

“If,” he said, “Britain demands the repayment of our debt, and at the same time delays payment of the Reparations, it will necessitate our asking Italy, Roumania, and Serbia, to pay us what we are asked to pay. We shall not allow ourselves to he placed in such a position. We know well enough that the world does not stop at- our frontiers.”

Our policy, though fervently national, is neither narrow nor blind. It would be most stupid, if we did not try to conciliate with a wide and generous European policy. We, only ask to remain the AUies of the Allies, and to have our Allies’ friends as our friends, resuming with former enemies, peaceful and courtly relations; but we want our damages repaired and they shall be.”

The paper ‘he Temps” appends M. Poincare’s speech. It declares: —“The real obstacles preventing a solution of the European crisis are the politicians and the military.” Referring to the statement in the British Press that Britain will not abandon her claims against I*inncc, unless the latter reduces her army and navy, “i.e Temps” declares: —“These threaten nobody. It is that part of the British policy which surprises M. Poincare. We are convinced that the bulk of the British people will disapprove of that policy, if France only explains her programme and intentions.

A CRITICISM. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug 22. The “Daily Chronicle’s” Paris correspondent commenting on M. Poincare’s Bar Le Due speech, says since he returned he has not previously referred publicly to the differences at the London Conference. His unexpected oratorical offensive against Bri tain and the British Government was made in a carefuly prepared speech, which he read. There might have been an excuse for a speech so full of of bitter words and insinuations, it the London Conference had ru P tm 'f* the Entente It will not fail to blight the French Naionallst Press and serve the interests of Anglophobes, who are preaching a rupture of the Entente, and an alliance with Germany M. Poincare declared France, m tacing the reparations problem had encounter ed difficulties more surprising than Germany’s had faith.

A FRENCH VIEW. PARIS, August 21. M. Poincaire attended the unveiling of the first milestone alone Voiesacree fifty seven kilometres from Bnreduc, to Verdun over which French troops marched in 1916 to support the stricken town. In a subsequent speech he disclaimed the French desire for aggrandisement. She only asked execution of the treaties and payment of damages. France’s friends, however, were phscsr

eed with the idea to recover foreign markets. The Allies came to an understanding three years ago at the expense of France and denied her the right to have a French policy. He asserted that Britain had favoured the granting of a German request for a, moratorium, ! without consulting France and had _sim- ■ ultaneously issued the Balfour note to | France’s great surprise, at a moment when Germany was announcing the. ' would not pay. He considered the i coincidence a regrettable one, at the , very least.