For world peace to be assured, France must obtain guarantees

It is an American businessman who says it in Berlin

BERLIN, July 20. — An American businessman, Mr. Filene, passing through Berlin, told a reporter for the Courrier de la Bourse:

“You will not be able to borrow from the United States until the Franco-German policy is replaced by a more reasonable one.

In my opinion, the solutions of the questions of reparations and the Ruhr would not be enough to create a sufficient basis for borrowing from the United States; I am convinced that as long as France has no guarantees against a possible attack by Germany, there will not be in France a statesman or a government that fears the economic power of Germany , and the resulting military possibilities, will not require an armaments policy."

To the question: "What guarantees do you envisage for France?" Mr. Filene replied:

“Germany cannot give guarantees on its own, it is as if a debtor had to stand surety for himself. The guarantee must come from outside. I think that it is possible to have our country adhere to the international court of arbitration and to have our Parliament vote a law under the terms of which we would boycott 'any country which would have attacked it another without going through the court of arbitration.

The tranquility of Europe and of the world demands that we give guarantees to France in this way, without which we cannot count on a lasting peace between France and Germany” (Morning)