Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-05-14
ENORMOUS SUM IS
To BE DEMANDED
At CLOSE UF WAR

PARIS, May 14.-By the end of July,
1917, Germany will have incurred liza
bility to-the Allies for an after-the-war
Indemnity of one hundred and sixty
thousand million dollars. This figure
comes today from the pen of Jean
Finot, well known French editor, au-
thor and statistician, writing in the
current number of La Revue, of which
he is editor. "a Peace of Hundred
Years." is the title of the article. This
is only possible, the author argues by
forcing Germany to purge herself of
future militarism. The remedy-the
only remedy-he points out, is an 'in-
stallment indemnity" to the Allies from
Germany of about two billion, four
hundred million dollars year.
On the theory that German militar-
ism was responsible for the world
catastrophe and the German people
we're responsible for militarism, the
author says that the German people
should accept the lesson TO future peace
by paying every cent of the damage.
Germany's national wealth before the
war was placed at eight hundred mil
lions of dollars. The "installment in
demnity" is, therefore the way for the
Allies to exact their toll. The author
adds: 1.-The German people are soli-
dsrized with the emperor and his sold
iers. Having committed unutterable
crimes at the emperor's instigation, the
people should participate in the repa-
ration for these crimes"
While it appears that such a series
of indemnities would work ruin to
Germany, the contrary is the case" the
al thor says.
Germany would be forced to aban-
don her annual gigantic military bud
get of several hundred millions Of dol
lars for her feet and armies. This
element alone would radically trans
form Germany. Millions of would-be
soldiers would be thrown into useful
occupations.
After all that has happened" the
author asks, could any nation rest
secure and have faith in treaty sign
ed by Germany? What remains then
for peaceful Europe of the future but
to force Germany to disarm?'
Touching on Allied war losses which
will figure in a future indemnity, the
statistician says that at the end of 1914
alone the Allies counted their debts
at about thirty-five millions. He COM
pares this to the cost of the American
civil war which was about $1,000, OOO,-
900. He declares that France, England
and Italy alone are spending about 81,
OCO 5000 a month. These expenses
and do not include devastated prov
inces, deportations and ruin of civilian
populations. He mentions 2O,OO0,OOO
Allied soldiers in arms at an average
upkeep of four dollars day; the prod
igious expenditure for munitions with
single shells costing $4,000; added to
the expense of the Allied fleets and
mercantile shipping losses from Ger
man submarines.
The writer even computes In his sum
total of a possible German indemnity
the amount of losses to Allied families
of bread-winners and the cost In the
future for orphans and widows. He
adds:
Modern wars place hors de combat
about a third of their cambatants. 1t
can be estimated that between six and
seven million men of Allied armies will
have been lost or rendered useless for
life by the war.
German statisticians value the life
tf a German soldier at $4,000. If the
Allies are charitable enough to ad-
nit that the life of soldier fighting
for right and liberty is of no greater
value we arrive here alone at the
round figure of. $4,000, 100000.
THE Allies must ask the full amount
due them from the perpetrators Of this
war. The unique means outlined is the
only way to destroy Prussian militar'
ism and at the same time render the
Germans, themselves, sociable."