The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-15
Not Rad for . beaten Power.

Not Bad for q Beaten Power.
Not a bad situation, l repeat for a
beaten power. Quito a satisfactory one,
indeed, for country which had been
uniformly successful. Many campaigns
have been wsged in Europe from which
the vctors have emerged we'll content
with gains less substantial than those
that may be acquired by Germany in
defeat.
III these arrangements and some
others limited at are not vetoed by the
Allies one might conceive the Hohen-
zollern and the Potsdam war lords after
decent interval OF elf-effacement in
Sweden or Switzerland asking their
repentent ex-subjects for vote OF re-
newed confidence and getting il
Really" they might say, you must
admit that We managed your affairs
pretty we'll in difficult circumstances
We fought all your enemies for over
four years, and then got them to make
peace before they had set foot on Ger
man soil Your towns were not de-
stroyed, nor were your villages blotted
out, your cathedrals and palaces
wrecked, your fields turned to hideous
deserts, your civilians murdered, tor
tured. plundered and enslaved These
things happened to your enemies and
opponents, not TO you.
True, we were finally overcome by
superior force and were compelled to
mako some sacrifices. surrender OF
colonies. ships. and SO on. which you
naturally disliked. But look what we
did for you in return. We were able
TO leave your country bigger and
stronger than It had ever been. You
now rank first both in population and
area among the nations OF Europe.
1--WE have at length achieved the
aim which baffied Frederick and Bis
marck. We have made you masters
Of all Germany. south as we'll as
north, from the Baltic to the Alps,
and presently. II you stand by US, we
will bring you down 10 the Adriatic
again. We have rendered your po-
liicd rivals powerless all save one,
and We have inflicted tremendous IN
jury on your chief economic competi-
tors. We ruined. ravsged and spoiled
the great Industrial districts OF Bel
gium, France and Russian Poland
warehouses remained untouched.
Can't Make Good Trade Loss.
They made you pay compensa-
ton for damage done 10 private ind.
viduals and interests, and that was
and is a grievous burden upon you
But no pecuniary repayments can
n an ha ~ A..
stoppage OF production, the disloca-
ton and disorsanization we caused.
and In spite Of the millions that have
gone across tho frontier you know
that your competitors have not yet
retrieved their position and Will not
do 80 for many a year to coma
ave led you to defeat, you tell u.s.
Yes; but out OF defeat we plucked the
fruits of victory and gave you a
united Germany, which before long
may make another bid for political,
as II already holds the Industrial
hegemony OF continental Europe IL
you will let us have another chance
''1t would be disastrous II some
thing of this kind could be said five
years after the great peace had been
signed. Yet IL might be said II tho
allied negotiators do not take care
that Germany. beaten and outfought
as she is. does not still get away with
solid political and economic booty.
IF Germany has lost the war, she
has not yet lost the peace. II is the
business OF President Wilson and the
statesmen OF tho Entente to see that
she does not win In that field sithsr~