Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-19
With O Their Editors
Why Germany Should Pay.

The statement of Lloyd George that England will
demand the full punishment of the criminal leaders
Of Germany who responsible for the fearful
crimes of the last four years and will also demand
an indemnity of $4,000 100000 from Germany to
the entire cost of the war to Britain so far as
financial cost can be estimated is exceedingly graft
flying.
Last summer, at time when there was pro-
nounced feeling in Great Britain against promulgat-
ing any statement in regard to- indemnity the editor
of the Manufacturers Record in lengthy letter pub
lished in the London Times took the ground that the
history Of the south after The Civil demonstrated
that Germany would be able within so to 100 years
to repay America and cur allies the entire financial
cost of the It pointed out in that letter
that ali Of the bonds and securities issued by the CON
federacy for carrying on the war were by the terms
of peace made absolutely worthless and it was ex-
pressly provided that they should never be paid
The entire investment of the south in slavery was
also wiped out, its manufacturing plants were de
stroyed, and this entire section from Virginia TO
Texas was but mere shell its entire resources hay
ing been drained during four years of tremendous
fighting.
The south fought the Civil war on principle; it
had ambition to rob and loot other countries, and
it fought humanely and according to the highest code
of warfare Nevertheless the south had to bear the
tremendous losses of the war; it saw its bonded in
dcbtedness wiped out Of existence and from the dav.
it reentered the union began to pay its proportion
Of the pensions to the very men by whom it had beer
conquered
Germany, the other hand entered upon the
most uahoiy in human history. not for prfn
0fDT b1rr
warfare after years of preparation with barbarigrn
never known by the civilized world Its destruction
of property, its numbering of innocent women and
children, its dishonoring of womanhood were all
marked by atrocities which the world had long since
believed could never again be seen in a civilized
country
The German people were as guilty as the German
government They all entered toyously and bi1ari
ously into this campaign of murder for the enrich
meut of their nation anu of themselves. The Ger
man people expected that their campaign of ooting
the rest of the world would so enormously enrich
themselves that they would live on the fat of the
world and be free from all taxation
more diabolical scheme was never Matched in
hell itself And yet for long time there was a
sentiment in this country, and some extent in Eng
land, against forcing Germany to pay an indemnits
sufficient to reimburse America and the allies The
pacifists and the DroGermans and the neurotfc SYM
pathzers with crime all protested against making
the criminal pay 1t said that it would be a
hardship upon Germany and that we must not punish
the dear German people" But the advocates of this
system entirely forgot to take into account the ter
rifle suferings and the poverty entailed upon Bel
GUM and France and Italy and Serbia, and. indeed
upon all the world by the blacklist criminal in human
history
We are especially glad, therefore that Great Brit,
lin and France have now definitely placed them /
selves the side OF those who full punish
nent OF the criminals and full reparauon for the !
damages done far as It is in human power to do
his Manufacturers Record.