INTERNATIONAL: Again Gold: Perfidious Paris

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In dealing with certain smaller powers who borrowed from her in pre-War francs, France has successfully demanded that they repay her at the pre-War rate of 19.3¢gold per franc. But she will not pay Britain more than 3.9¢ she defies Mr. Snowden, and he last week appeared to be powerless. Said London's Financial Times:

"Fortunately for France, she is in no present need of financial assistance from without her borders. Were it otherwise she would find that the foreign investor has learned his painful lesson. Nothing short of a complete, unequivocal obligation in the bond to redeem in gold will satisfy the foreign investor for at least a century."

French thesis: the majority of French War bonds are held by Frenchmen who have quietly taken their loss, let the British minority holders take their loss as quietly, make good the ancient boast that "Englishmen are better sportsmen than Frenchmen."

A French revolution would probably follow any attempt by the French Gov ernment to give "preferential treatment'' to British holders of these bonds, for the numerous French holders are all resolute citizens who will stop at nothing to get their 19.3¢ on the franc if anyone gets it.