FRANCE INDIGNANT

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 8

FRANCE INDIGNANT

AT TRANSATLANTIC LECTURES.

(Published in The Times.) Received 23rd March, 3 p.m.) -LONDON, This Day. The Paris correspondent of "The Times" says that the publication of Mr. Houghton's report on European diplomacy is acting as a nervous irritant, and will probably do more harm than good.' French susceptibilities, which at present are extraordinarily delicate, are unable to withstand a shock so brutally administered. If Mr. Houghton intends his report to act as an antidote to nationalist ambitions, it will fail so far as France is concerned. It has caused even tho soberest newspapers to make most fantastic statements, professing to believe that the report is au Anglo-American move against France. They point out that France has taken the lead in European peace, preparing, first the Treaty of Mutual Guarantee; then the Geneva Protocal, and finally, the Locarno Pact, all designed to obtain European security and peace resulting from general disarmament. The newspapers' comments show that the strong dose of unfavourable criticism is sufficient completely to unbalance French opinion. Franc would rather revert to being a nation in arms than submit to Transatlantic lectures.