New-York tribune., 1919-05-30
Germany's Counter Terms

in few respects Premier Clemenceau's
admonition that they would have to be
practical'-that is, made with the pur-
pose Of smoothing out difficulties in the
execution of the treaty. The Allies are
willing to agree to notifications which
Will make the terms more workable. But
they are not prepared to consider
right, or even the eXpediency, of the
principles on which the treaty has been
drawn.
Germany rejects outright, we are told,
the proposed cessions of upper Silesia
and parts of West Prussia and East
Prussia, and asks for plebiscite in all
the terrorities which she stands to lose,
including Alsace- Lorraine. She re-
quests immediate membership in the
league of nations and mandate from
the league to administer all her former
colonies. These demands amount to a
contention on her part that the Allies
are not entitled to impose peace on
her; that the peace she signs must not
be a peace of submission.
When the German government, at the
lnstlgation of the General Staff of the
army, signed the armistice it practi-
cally surrendered at discretion. The
fourteen points, which were to serve as
the basis of treaty, were exceedingly
vague and elastic They were neces-
sarily subject to Interpretation bv the
Allied representatives at the peace
table. The German peace delegation
and the heads of the German provisional
government do not hesitate to denounce
the treaty as a violation of the stipula-
tons of the fourteen points. Can they
really believe that the conference will
indorse this accusation of bad faith bv
altering the main lines of the settle
ment, arrived at after prolonged delib-
GRAFTON and painful labor?
The German government may be
thinking merely of making an appeal
to history. Having made that appeal, it
may accept the natural consequences of
defeat. 1t cannot expect the conference
to renounce the indisputable right 10
impose terms which, in it's opinion, will
operate to redress the frightful wrongs
committed by Germany and to secure
peace in Europe and the rest of the
world
On one point the German delegation
makes a practical SUGGESTION 1t asks
that the size Of the German indemnity
be definitely fixed in the treaty. The
reparations section. judging from the
abstract of it furnished to the public is
likely to lead to long continued friction
Germany is to pledge herself to make
reparatons for damages under seven
categories. The total is left Indefinite
1t is to be determined by an inter Allied
reparatlOn commission not later than
May l, 1921. At that time a schedule
OF payments is to be drawn up, extend
ing over thirty years. But this sched-
ule is to be subject to postponements.
Germany will know the worst for two
years. and thereafter tie immense re-
sponsiblity will be thrown on the COM
mission of collecting the debts due the
Allies on conditions which may be con-
tinually modified and which Germany
naturally will do everything in her power
to evade
Fixing a maximum limit for the in
demnity would make the work of the
collection bureau infinitely easier, and
also would tend to accelerate payments
On the theory that responsibility for the
size of the burden imposed on Germany
ought to be assumed by the peace
makers, and not devolved on a sub
sidiary board, Won Brockdorff- Rantzau
at least makes out a presentable case.
The submission of counter claim of
1880, 100000 marks for damages re-
sulting from the blockade is an i'm
pertmence. Moreover, the lust claims
of the Allies so far exceed Germanv's
ability to discharge them that any
! counter claim presented would easily be
swallowed up in the Allied profit and
loss account Germany, whatever terri
tory she gives up under the treaty, and
whatever indemnifications she is called
upon to make, still will enjoy vast dis
count on her true obligations
1t is not for an involuntary bankrupt
to haggle over the cents on the dollar
which he is to be allowed to paw.
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In April the favorable trade balance