Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-31
mo LEAGUE OF NATIONS"
FOR PRESENT HUN EMPIRE
British Diplomat Declares Herr
Dernburg's Article Really an
M Appeal for Pity.
GERMANS Now REALIZE PLIGHT
On Question OF Raw Materials Allies
Hold Enemy in Their Hands.
Commercial Agreement Not Pos
h sible With Autocracy.

49, w
BY A BRITISH DIPLOMAT.
LONDON. August 3O.-Germany's
difficulties are OF two kinds. Some Of
them may conceivably be lessened by
the free road" which she boasts Of
having obtained in the East: for
instance, she may improve her food
position somewha after the next har-
vest, though the prospects at present.
even as regards Roumania, are not par
tculariy brilliant; and she might i'm
recruitment in her eastern client-states
or by the recruitment Of laborcrs. thus
releasing Germany; as to what the
prospects of this are no information
Is available.
But there are other things on which
the East produces little or no effect.
1tcannot amelioratc the financial posi-
ton. the most serious OF all Gcrmany's
troubles, by one single mark. the Ger
fact that. after the war, 1T must meet
their financial losses ngle-handed and
that the situation will be next to i'm
possible 1t cannot alter the fact that
Germany's overseas trade is in ruins.
and will remain in ruins for just so
@aE. as the sss pease And it can
the question OF raw materials: here the
allies hold Germany in their hands.
think about the , matter a are becom ling
terrified at the prospect OF their eco
nomiG future; and the evidence &C
said in April tina. when the western
offensive finally failed we should get
an appeal for pity. in the shape of
claim that raw materials should be
The several Countries. The first appeal
ar 1s IN the e01 wanna z He ae
Freie Presse. entitled WILSON'S Raw
Material Boycott Against the Central
man ex-m minister for the colonies. who
= earlier in the war was head Of the
2 German propaganda in America.
CAN CENTRAL POWERS UOLD
OUT WITHOUT RAW MATERIALsr
An appeal: but an appeal it is, none the
less After general review OF the
question, he assumes that IL Germany
], cannot get supply of raw materials
'sSs peace condition the war will go
eN The question then arises. Are the
|lSmicaliy TO hold out in the future
kagninst the stoppase of raw ma
tsrisls?" He thinks a great deal may
manner on which there may, perhaps. be
two opinions; but that II the allies OPP
pose a raw material boycott to Ger
hide from ourselves that we are here
concerned with an object of compensa-
complete substitute Tor The trade viii, "A
three- quarters OF the world. and for
the the, absence OF their raw materials.
What, he asks. is to be done? Oh
vIousIy, q balance must be struck If
lhe entente has AL the oceans. and ali
being" the near East: mutual adjust,
assumption that the whole world is
longing to continue business relations
With Germany is tcontinues DernbergJ
wrong, as any one knows who follows
pore the colonies Il, i IS not a" enough sasi,
raw materials; in certain circumstances
there must be the possibility OF enlorc-
Ing the demand and that on ali par
How is this TO be done' DernburG's
I program Its Is an .o economic league OF ma,
raw materials. the whole worid viii Vii
inevitably be rationed This cannot be
sere m any %tss5 han by
effect that the material be portioned
on principles previously laid down.
commission for distribution. armed
with the authority OF court OF arbi-
auires international d H Ihe and
This must be internationally guaran.
teed by International conventions i'm
posing obligations on. the states. 1. e:
league of nations for the universal
world provision OF humanity (read
Of German; Germany suffering from an mn
ventions which Germany. 1t may be
supposed. would observe with the same
the Hague conyentions.' She treaty
guaranteeing Belgium. the treaty OF
Brest Litoysk And just at this point
suffering 'humanity" in one naked
of this kind cannot be attained In the
event OF pure might-peace He
speaks the truth Germany could only
cannot hack through salt water. Is
1t wrong to call this an appeal for
pity?
MUST BE DIFFERENT GERMANY
BEFORE BEING ADMITTED
Tho ordinary plain man in the allied
countries-at any rate. in Britain and
Amcrica-certainly sees in league Of
nations the only future hope of the
il he can. But what he means to have
is league Of nations. not a league Of
= autocratic governments, a revived holy
alliance; il Germany" ever enters that
tleague, Germany" has got to mean a
good deal more than. and something
different from. the Kaiser with his war
And IL Is we'll to be quite clear what
prominent Germans mean when thsy
talk about league Of nations. for they
talk about it a. good deal; they mean
Z some sort Of arrangement between gov
ernments in which the autocratic Ger.
man government constituted, as ut
b present, is to take the lead. If Herr
fDernburE really wants an economic lea
que of nations-if by any chance he
does mean something mere more than anrn re-
from the morass in which she has
landed herself by making warEhe
knows quite well what The the c on lion
BTation that she has to make, she mas
OF so to reform herself as to become
an live and with whom they can work.
,stead of an autocracy brandishinE
le sword; Till this happens 9Th the a al u
rfolG fnT themselves