The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, SEPT 6th, 1922.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, SEPT 6th, 1922.

.No doubt ntiUHB Oi toreulnst..nets w.ll eventually torce the Alms to ie>lew uieir inuobtedness to e-ch other fiom a common basis. 1' r..nce, alter pro- ’ ti acted del.y, has replied to the Biitish Note prepared oy the Earl of Balfour, under which a general bcneine of writing olf was proposed. The French critics were nut pleased with the note, neither were the Americans, probably because Lord Balfour put the case so plainly. Now M. Poincare, the French Premier, Ims recognised the position to some extent, by a definite reply, while President Harding, apropos of toe French acceptance oi the reparation i ayments by Germany to Belgium, practically promises active participation by Lue United States in tho settlement of European financial economic problems, whenever European statesmen agree that such aid will he most effective. The French Premier' has adopted a tone which does not recommend itseK to the British press. Ho states the case foul his own jaundiced point of view, and certainly does not do Britain credit for her entry into the war. Rather does lie praise t' e entry of America into the wnr at a time when the plans for limit victory were laid-. The Frallco-British feelings will Hardly lie improved by M. Poincaire’s statement of the ease, which is not in keeping with tile general trend of the French sentiment towards Britain for her .super-human efforts to achieve the finnT victory. Britain, of course, went into the war to .succour Belgium, and had she not entered at the time she did, and had her Contemptible Aimy not stood in the way of the German troops, the occupation of Paris by the enemy according to time-table dale would have come to pass. M. Poincaire overlooks the material service to his country on the part of Biitnili. But that service was only the beginning of what Britain performed in her unselfish part. She succoured the Allies at every turn. Her wealth and power were dedicated to tho cause of victory. 1 and because of-that Franco was saved • from the enemy, who after all was ■ kept within well defined bounds of the French territory. M. Poincare, it would appear, would haggle as to the , cost involved by Britain in doing this , great service. He recognise. - ! a certain debt to America which is styled a coin- ' mercial debt, but he suggest.'! Britain charges for certain material is excessive’! The attitude of M. Poincaire towards Britain is becoming rather palpable, and it must tend to stiuin the relations betweeen the two countries. Tn ■ tho winning of the war. cost could not j he taken into account. Tho game was too high to count the cost, and Britain tlirow her whole resources into tile balance. her every arm of defence and offence being used to win the victory. The British casualties in the war are given at over three millions one hundred thousand, and the French npproxi- { mated two millions, while the American | was less than a quarter of a million, j Britain it is estimated lost one eighth, of the nation’s wealth in the war. and ! French lost one fourth, while tho Unit, ed States gained thirty cent. The comparison, which M. Poincare made in regard to the promptings of Britain ami America as to entry into the war, j is not a very palatable one. France, it would appear, is still ‘.‘cheeking” the ; British monetary claim on the French Government. There is wisdom of course m this. But it does not seem to bo undertaken in the spirit of good taste and chivalry with which French .sentiment is usually associated. Still, withal, the acceptance of Franc- of Karl Balfour’s note as a basis for the settlement of the Allied debts is a long stride towards the quicker adjustment j of European financial affairs which at. the present are in sueli a chaotic condition.