The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-04
FRANCE DEBATING
Price FOR PEACE
Rumors that Germany Will
Seek Terms to End War
Are Heard.
KAISER MUST PAY HIGH
Member of Chamber of Deputies Says
Decisive Victory Must Be
Gained by Allies.
BY GEORGE DUQUExNE,


1
Special Cable to The Washington Herald.
Paris. March 27.-From more than one
side We hear rumors stating ever more
| persistently that in few weeks Ger
! many may sue for peace. While not at
| taching too much Importance to these
rumors. which come principally from
Copenhagen. Switzerland and America.
leading French politicians are discussing
among themselves what Frances min
imum demand should be II Germany
actually expressed wish to end the
war.
| To give my American readers an idea
Of what the feelings are in the French
| Chamber / went to see NJ. Jules Della
fasse. a member who has made a special
| study Of economical and social condi-
tons in Germany and who is. therefore.
particularly qualified to say what Ger
many could AFFORD to pay.
| 1T seems to me rather premature to
discuss such a thing now" NJ. Delafasse
said. but in general way I think our
conditions should be these: First of all
| We must. Of course, have back our lost
provinces and the new boundary lines
| all over Europe must coincide with the
| nationality Of the population. This
point. however is quite covered. I think,
| by mutual agreements between the allied
| powers.
Riches of Germany.
Then We must insist that Germany
make full reparation for all losses sus-
tanned by private individuals business
men and manufacturers in all the dis
tricts invaded
But what can Germany pay?" I asked
German economists before the war
were fond of boasting that Germany was
richer by far than France. In 1913 the
total national assets of Germany were
estimated at four hundred thousand mil
lion francs $50 900 600 CO., Herr Helfer-
ich estimates the annual revenue of the
German people at fifty thousand million
francs $4,000. O0O. 0OO) These enormous
figures should not arouse any envy in
France. and I most heartily wish they
might be correct. for then Germany can
AFFORD to pay for the material damage
she has done. 1t must however, be re-
membered that the greater part of this
enormous wealth is based on credit, par
ticularly on securities. and the value of
German securities has deprecated very
much since the war began. There should
be enough left. though. for Germany to
settle her debts
TO force her to do so an absolute
and decisive victory is necessary; that
Is to say. that the armies of France,
England and Russia must meet in Ber-
lin or somewhere in the heart Of Ger
many. Such victory is certain IL we
pay no attention to rumors OF Germany's
as Cato did toward Carthage"
Fight for France's Life
NJ. Maurice Barres. the famous
academician. writes on the same SUBJ |
ject:
We must not stop this dreadful war
on terms that leave unfinished the sub !
lime work done by our soldiers. When |
the hour comes to discuss the terms of |
peace We shall meet among ourselves |
strong opposition on the part of certain
international groups Of dreamers like
Prof. Ruyssen. of the University of Bor-
deaux. to whom We must pay no atten-
ton whatever
1T is necessary that all who love
France cooperate to take sufficient pre-
cautions against the barbarians and to
safeguard our children and grandchil-
dren that they may reap the fruits of
our glorious efforts.
Our soldiers are sacrificing their lives
for the salvation Of France and for MOTH
ing else. They are not sacrificing them
selves for combination OF political con-
quest. but because they desire to save
France and disarm Germany. 1t is the
necessity OF this that should inspire all I
minds.
Force that Counts.
We are not going to waste our time
discussing the arguments Of Germany,
which pretends to have a right to Alsace-
Lorraine because that country is partly
Inhabited by a race of more or less Ger
man origin. and which lays the same
claim to Holland. Belgium. Switzerland.
F,ranche-Comte. Champagne and Bour-
gosne. Neither are We going to discuss
the German pretention that Germany
alone possesses the law which all hu-
mankind must obey. All these things
are stupid. German savants mutilate
science and mold truth to make il suit
the aims Of their rulers. They fight with
arguments as soldiers with arms, and
universities and socialists try to Guido
krupp in their efforts to furnish an artil-
lery Of arguments.
To-day it is force that counts. The
Germans wanted to rule US: they have
tried to scare up by all means OF fright
fulness here and in Belgium. We must
take every precaution to make them
harmless. When the savage beast once
gets into our power. we must pull out
Its claws. put it inside a stout cage and
set free those who were its slaves"