Snt,—I was indeed pleased to see The Spectator on sale
in the important city of Lyons to which I have recently returned after an absence of nearly five years. I fully endorse the views expressed by Mr. Frank Walters in your issue No. 1069, concerning the general feeling of the French nation at their non-participation at the Potsdam conference. The man in the street is at a loss to understand why the British Government did not insist that France should be present, and I am sure, as Mr. Walters rightly states, Britain will bitterly regret this error one day. After the magnificent welcome I received from the French on my return to France, where I have resided for a quarter of a century, I felt that the French had entire confidence in the British nation and looked upon us as true friends and liberators, in fact, never during the whole of my residence in France have I known our prestige to stand so high.
The recent attitude of the British Government in regard to the Syrian affair came as a bombshell to the majority of the French nation and while there may have been more errors committed on the French side than on the British, I consider that there was a complete lack of diplomacy on our part which has resulted in damage being done to Anglo-French relations which it will take some time to heal. The British case was insufficiently explained to the man in the street who was only able to appreciate the situation from French reports which appeared almost hourly in the press.
The necessity of a much closer relationship with France than has existed hitherto has been repeatedly expressed by leading British states- men and confirmed by the Government, but are we going the right way to create this relationship? I very much doubt it. Perhaps with the advent of the Labour Government there will be a change of policy in regard to our relations with France ; at least this is the hope of the average Frenchman. While I admit there are difficulties concerning transport and accommodation, I consider it a grave mistake that more facilities are not offered for reciprocal visits to both countries which is primordial for the_ creation of those friendly relations which both nations appear to desire. -
I have been actively engaged in assisting to create branches in the South-East of France of the Association France-Grande-Bretagne and at each town I have visited I have found considerable enthusiasm in this movement and a strong desire to weld a lasting friendship with Britain. Unfortunately there is a lack of a sufficient number d British propa- gandists possessing an inside knowledge of the French character and able to talk to the French in their own language. The British Govern- ment would do well to recruit a certain number of resident British sub- jects for this purpose and, if necessary, issue them with helpful directives. If Britain does not offer more encouragement to France it is not difficult to see to whom France will turn for friendship and this would certainly not be altogether to our liking.—Yours faithfully,
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