The Hawera Star TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1924. BRITAIN AND FRANCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 June 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1924. BRITAIN AND FRANCE.

Delivered every evening oy 6 o’clock in Hawera. Mantua, iN'ormanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakehc Manuiahi, Alton, Harleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Wnakamara, Obangai, Meremere, , Fraeer Road, and Ararata.

M. Herriot, the new French Premier, was reported in yesterday’s cable messages as saying that he had the greatest faith in the Entente, and that if the future peace of the world is to' be secured Britain and France must be firm friends. The hope is also expressed that the conference, between, the French Premier and Mr. Ramsay Mac, Donald will mark the beginning of a satisfactory settlement of the great problems in Europe. Similar hopes have been expressed so often since the war ended and have as often failed to be realised that we cannot attach any special importance to the messages. For nearly six years statesmen/have looked in vain for a settlement acceptable to all the nations concerned, and unless there has been a great change in the attitude of various parties interested in the: problems, we cannot see how a solution is more likely to be found now than when previous attempts were made. Whether or not that change of attitude has taken place only closer knowledge of the countries would show. it is, however, important that the experts’ report has been accepted as a whole by the leaders of three countries most concerned, ' and Germany seems to be better disposed towards France than for many months past. M. Poincare carried French Nationalism to the extreme by his por icy in the Ruhr in the face of the advice of the. greatest friend of France, and by bis action the Entente was weakened. M. Herriot has the very difficult task of restoring British trust and confidence- in France and in the Entente. M. Poincare’s idea of tht Entente was somewhat one-sided; what he desired to do lie expected Britain to support, but he did not feel inclined to listen to British proposals which did not folly satisfy French Nationalism. Since January of last year, when the conference at Paris reached a deadlock and France went to the Ruhr to collect reparations in kind, the Entente has not been strong and Britain has maintained an attitude towards Fiance of almost .silent disappointment, watching events quietly in the hope that a change would come which would restore the old friendship completley. The defeat of M. Poincare at the recent elections marks that change, and with M. Herriot desirous of a on the lines of the Dawes report he will find Mr. Mao. Donald ready to co-operate. On the whole there seems to be a better prospect of success than there has been for n long time past. The outlook for France inff after the election did not appear very bright, but M. Milleraud has resigned, and if M. Herriot can

effect early improvements in France by his domestic legislation he may hold the Premiership for a sufficiently long period to restore the Entente and to have a reparations -settlement effected on the lines of the experts' report. France lias undergone many rapid political changes at times, for under the group system a Premier’s tenure of office cannot be regarded as very stable. A strong vote of confidence one day may be reversed a. few days later. 3VF. Herriot has a difficult path to tread, and he has yet to prove himself a statesman before he can be sure of retaining his post for long. The course of events will he watched with interest by those- who realise how important for Europe and the world is a satisfactory settlement of the reparations problem. Britain has realised it for a long time past, for painful evidence of the seriousness of Europe’s sick condition is revealed in the widespread unemployment, which is mainly due to the poverty' of the European nations who- in pre-war times were good customers. Let us hope that France has at last awakened to the fact that her umvise policy in the Ruhr has reacted against her and, worse still, has been the cause of bitterness in 'Germany.