Evening star., 1916-08-27


her machinery intact and her CONNER
cial fleets have not suffered proportion
ately to the British. Now. il peac3
came tomorrow her factories, her
plants. her shipping. would be, with
relation to world commerce, in a far
better position than they were in Au-
gust, 1914. Like all the other great
nations, she would have incurred a
vast debt. but. while she had crippled
their means of paying the debt, she
would have preserved hers.
All this was not Immediately per-
ceived by the allies. They have been
learning very slowly what Germany
has actually been doing. They have
begun now. by their economic confer
ences to take steps to provide a joint,
agreement which will exclude Germany
from their combined markets by tariff
walls which will give preference to
allies. Unquestionably the same sys-
tenn will be followed with reference to
their colonies-that is, that the British
empire and the French home and
colonial territories will each give the
motherland a preference in its markets.
The Resolve to Go On.
This is a defensive step. to meet the
situation which German armies have
created by their activities in Belgium.
in France and in Poland. But il Is
fully recognized that this will not be
enough. BY victorious wars Germany
has possessed herself of the coal and
iron fields of France, the iron and lead
regions of Silesia, which are included
in districts whose population is Slav.
Now. If ever. France and Russia must
get these districts, and they mean to
get them But to get them means to
defeat Germany in he field she has
not yet been defeated, and as there 10
no prospect at the present moment that
she can be defeated this year or per-
haps next.
Remember that the allies have great
er numbers. greater wealth. the control
of the seas: they have overtaken Ger
many in the matter of shells and NUM-
tions: they have copied all the devices
that she had alone at the outset Of the
struggle. Then they had only superior
latent resources. They are satisfied
now that the only question now 10 how
long it will take: they are equally
end to go on now until they have
broken the economic and industrial ad
vantages Germany has secured for her.
self by this and other wars. than to
stop now and let Germany realize on
her campaigns by putting her, ma
chinery to work, while her neighbors
have to reconstruct theirs.
There is another aspect that must be
crushing Germany. Most of this 10
rather wild talk. but there is one point
at which Germany can be severely in
jured. This is her territory on the
eastern frontier. the provinces OF East
and West Prussia and Posen. The
population of Posen is mainly Polish:
half that of East Prussia, or at the
least quarter. is Slav. North from
the solid Slav block, overfiowing from
Russian Poland into Posen, long arm
of Slav population extends straight to
the Baltic about Dantzig. actually cut
ting off the German population of East
Prussia from the mass of the Germans
farther to the west Here the question
always has been whether 100000 OF
Germans shall be under Slav rule, or
100000 Slavs under Teutonic rule. As
it stands now. the latter situation ex-
lists. but if Russia should insist Upon
restoring all of Poland and liberAting
all the Poles in Germany, then Ger
many would lose Dantzig, koniGscerx.
and all the lower reaches of the Nis-
tula from Thorn to its mouth.
If Russia Takes East Prussia.
Such a change would deprive Ger
many of at least s,o00,o00 people. but
two-thirds, approximately. would he
Slav. Actually this would mean re-
storing to the Slav world, either to an
autonomous Poland or a Russian P"-
land what was taken away by the pa
titions. Morally it would be easil :
justinable. for, unless one subscribes to
the doctrine that the German js a
being. there is no reason WIN
> 100000 Germans should benefit AT the
expense OF 1000 600 Slavs.
But to take 5000 900 people from Frus-
sia would be to reduce by much her COM
parative size in German.', and by tailir :
East Prussia it would take that portion OF
the Prussan population which has cor
tributed most to giving mod u German
its unpopularity outside IT'S frontiers.
Francs expects ;o'tthe upaar,t o.. G,,or
600 chiefly the inha bitants OF the former
French territory i'll hlSaCe and I.or-
CONTINUED on SIA.n r.sr.r