The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-05-08
GERMANY MUST
SICN--OR STARVE
Screws to Be Turned Ruth
IessIy Upon Evidence of
Huns RecaIcitrancy.
MELANC HOLY REIGNS
Berlin Delegation Not EN-
powered to Conclude
Peace Finally. "
MELANCHOLY REIGNS

(By Herbert Bayard Swope)
Paris, May S.-(By Telegraph From
New York World, Copyrighted.)--
Sign or starve." That is the situa-
ton confronting Germany as enun-
ciated by the supreme economic coun-
Gil under the direction of the big
three. The definite program adopted
provides for the resumption of the
food blockade in the strictest fashion
and upon evidence OF, Teutonic recall
citrancy the screws are to be turned
ruthlessly.
The reaction upon the Germans is
immediate, as is indicated by the ex-
pressions of the members of their
delegation who met the allies repre-
sentatives at Versailles. They are
dpnressed and pessimistic, but still
s. e territorial settlements gag
I Synopsis Gives Best Color.
r. oSe who have seen a summary
7. : e treaty find themselves divided
two camps, one which says the
= mary is disingenuous. the other
: ch insists 1t is adequate. 1t Is
!; to say that the synopsis puts the
: st color on the instrument, which
ION full publication will be found
be open to sharp difference in in
appreciation from that given in ad-
-Jance. So it will be well for the
public to reserve final judgment un-
til the full text is printed
National Assembly Must Approve.
(By George Young) VI
Berlin, May 8.-(By Telegraph
From New York World, Copyrighted
Regarding the procedure in, sign
ing the peace treaty. it may be point
ed out that the German delegation at
Versailles is not empowered to con-
clude peace finally. Neither Presi-
dent Ebert nor the German govern
ment itself has such power. Article
vi. paragraph l, of the provisional
German constitution of Feb. 10 last
subjects treaties of peace to the ap-
proval Of the national assembly and
of the states committee.
Accordingly, after the delegation
has signed the treaty under instruc-
tions from the government in con-
sultation with the peace committee
already sitting in Berlin, the treaty
will be submitted to the states COM
mittee and reported thence to the
national assembly. In case Of dis
agreement, President Ebert can, un-
der Article LXIV, have recourse to q
referendum. 1t will also be neces-
sary to obtain the consent OF the
Prussian landtag to the cession of
Prussian territory. There Is no sign
of any desire to exploit this proce-
dure as a means of protest or pro-
crastination. The present impression
is that Germany must sign and tnat
O stitutional formalities will
strengthen the handN of the govern
ment in forcing acceptance Of the
treaty. But II fts terms aresintolera-
BILE anything may happen.
Tone of Plain Melancholy.
(By Cyril BroWn.)
Berlin, May Z S.-(By Telegraph
From New York World, Copyrighted.)
First kilograms and mailed stories
from German correspondents at Ner-
sailles published here are mostly
marked by tone of plain melan-
choly. Their reportorial work is not
calculated to infiame German public
opinion. Frederischs Stampfer, edl-
tor of the Vorwaerts, leads typically
with comments on rotten weather,
which mirrors the spirit of the Ger
man delegation"
"This is a land of work." another
correspondent writes of Belgium
no speculating financiers. In Belgium
there are more Americans than Bel
gians. Only in north France khaki
gives way to azure"
This writer Stampfer is particu-
larIv struck by the allied military
discipline. wherever an officer bobs
up there is snappy saluting, an un-
accustomed sight to us Germans he
says.
Moved at Sight of Ruins.
The sight of st. Quentin moves
Stampfer to exclaim: Here on the
square before the cathedral ! sat
eight years ago and we discussed the
favorite topic, whenever German and
French socialists met, of reconcilia-
tion and no more war. So never can
we make the French reconciliated to
us until we thoroughly realize why
they hate us"
The writer summarizes his i'm
pressions of the whole devastated
area as follows: at will be years be-
fore it is possible that men can live
here again, but the sight of these
ruins cannot make us forget our own
frightful misery and, what is worse
vet. that we have lost faith in our
own strength"