THE QUICK SANDS

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15185, 10 March 1923, Page 5

THE QUICK SANDS

FRENCH POLICY IN RUHR. * BRITAIN AND AMERICA IGNORE 7 ?*, LLOYD GEORGE’S COMMENT. Australian and N.Z. Gable Assn. Received March 10, 8.30 a.m. •>. LONDON, March 7. ,r Mr Lloyd George has contributed d further copyright article to the Australian Press. He says:— “When you have walked some distance into a quicksand, and are sinking deeper with every step, it is always difficult to decide whether you . are more likely to reach firm ground by '' pressing forward or by going back- ; ward. You must do one or the other; you cannot stand just last for that is inevitable destruction. The French Government is clearly of opinion that safety lies in marching further into the quagmire. So more German cities ' have been occupied, mor£ burgo- * masters and officials expelled, more men and boys shot in the streets, more black troops imported and more regulations and decrees issued. There is more depression on the French, Beln gian and Italian exchanges, more com-\ fusion in Central Europe’s business— ‘ in a sentence, there is more quaking and less solid coal. But for the fatuous invasion, France would in the past\ six or seven weeks have received from. Ruhr nearly 3,000,000 tons of coal and'coke, instead of the 50,000 actually received. No wonder M. Loucheur stated flatly i/t the French Chamber that he did not approve of the Ruhr enterprise. He has a distinct advant-? age over the Ruhr plungers; he knows something about business. He is also an admirable judge of to-morrow'‘s weather—a .rare endowment among < politicians. Any simpleton can tell you the way wind is blowing to-day, but it requires a man of special insight to forecast its direction to-morrow. M. Loucheur is one of' those well-equip ped weather prophets, so he satisfies the opinion of to-day by supporting M. Poincare, and safeguards his position against to-morroW’s change by stating he does riot approve of the policy bo supports. “Will the French Government try to extricate themselves from the difficult ties in which they have precipitated ' their ebuntry and Europe. I fpar noL Heedlessness lures man into danger and It needs eouTa’ge to get out when getting out involves the admission oi blame. There are few who possess that exalted type of courage. /

Need for Courage. 'nT . “There are further why ths present Government of France will llounder further into quicksand. * • “The trouble to-day in France is? that every alternative leader disap-, proves of this enterprise, and believes' \ it must ultimately fail. On the other, hand, no prominent figure in French' politics is prepared to take the odium, of sounding the retreat. It would always be said that success was in sight; and but for a few Ministers’ oowardioe and perfidy France would have emerg- ; ed trumphantly out ,of her financial worries. NO French statesman dare face that deadly accusation. So the present French Government is tied to the saddle of its charger, and forced to go on. “Another explanation of the difficulty of withdrawing is the, increasing fury of the original fomentors of this rashness. . Last week I gave a summary of S their ambitious plans for syndicating European resources. This week they propound a new treaty, which will supersede the Versailles Treaty. -'Boundaries are to be revised, rich provinces and towns practically annexed, Ruhr coal is to be harnessed to Lorrsline ore, and Germany reduced to complete economic subjection. There has been nothing comparable with these ideas since the Norman Conquest. Needless to say, Britain and America are not to :h, : < be invited to this new peace conference. They are to be graciously informed of the conditions of the new peace when it is finally by. French arms. The British Empire, which raised miliums of, men to libc- • rate French soil from German invaders, . and lost hundreds of thousands of its best young lives in the effort, is not even to be consulted as to the settlement which its losses alone made, possible. America, who came to the rescue with millions of its bravest, is. barely worth a sentence in these rav-. jngs of brains, intoxicated with an unwholesome mixture o,f hatred, greed and military arrogance.'

Government Prodded On. “The French Government are not committed by any overt declarations to these schemes, but it is unanimous that they issue from pens whose insistent' prodding has driven this Government on to its present action.. Up to the present no repudiation has come from the head of the Government. Pledges for. reparation and' security will cover, a multitude .of aggressions. “i have perused the Blue Bobk on the Paris Conference, being anxious to find out exactly what M, Poincare pron posed to demand of Germany as a condition of submission to tlio French will, 1 haVc read his speeches in vain. It is true he was never asked a question. That sounds Incomprehensible. Every-i one was engaged in such a hurry U> break up the conference and to put an end to disagreeable disagreements, that it seems never to have occurred U> them to ask this essential question, and the party principally concerned was not represented. No one knows the terms on which the French aimj is prepared to evacuate Ruhr. Mr Bo mu* Law could not explain to the House of Commons, for no one ever told him* and he never asked. It is sure that fay. this time M. Poincare has quite forgotten why he ever went to Ruhr, and he will remain there until something happens'to provide us with an answer;”'