The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-21
MOST IMPORTANT
PEACE PROBLEMS
NEAR SOLUTION
Two Questions Remain, Says
Slmonds-What Are Terms
and Will Germans Sign?
BY FRANK n. SiMONDS

BY FRANK n. SIMONDS
Copyright, 1919, by THE Mcclure News
paper Syndicate,
PARIS, April 21.-The announce
ment that the Germans are coming to
versailles April %, serves to indicate
that the conference in Paris is draw
ing to close, that a solution has been
at last sketched for the largest prob.
lems that affect Germany. Five months
ana half after the armistice the Ger
mans VIII be asked to sign a treaty
or peace. They will have fifteen days
or grace, to expire May 10, the ami
Versary of the treaty of Frankfort.
Two Big Questions Arise
Two great questions arise, still I'M
answered with the arrival of the Ger
mans in sight. The first is What
exactly are the terms Of peace, The
second: VIII the Germans sign?
Neither question can be answered by
any evidence at hand, although IN
every case so far as the peace terms
are concerned sketch has been put
out officially or unofficially We know
Germany must recognize the loss of
Alsace-LOrraine, the separation, at
least temporarily, Of the Saar coal
region, of the surrender of the north
ern half of Schleswig and nearly, if
not all OF the Polish districts of West
Prussia, Posen and Si1esia. The fate
OF Danzig remains problematical The
only real change in territorial condi-
tons from those which I sketched six
weeks ago lies in the suppression of
the Rhenish republic.
AS 10 reparation, it has been an
nounced In all the French papers that
the French solution which would place
h~ - L l.. L
OF rebuilding the devastated areas In
France and Belgium, replacing the
ships OF the allies sunk by submarines
and OF bearing pension charges-are
to be borne by Germany. Many figures
have been cited as an estimate; none
seem to be exact. The sum of S.
600, 100000 is to be paid Immediately,
that Is. within two years. Thereafter
according to very intricate and com.
plicated system of computing, the Ger
mans are to pay large sums of money,
anywhere between $25. 000,000,000 and
$50,000,000 1000, to meet the costs OF
restoration and the burden of pen
sions.
Occupation AS Guaranty
Finally German payments and per-
formances are to be guaranteed by the
occupation of the western bank Of the
Rhine for long period Of time, de-
pendent on the performance by Ger
many OF her agreement, exactly as
German troops occupied the eastern
departments Of France after the treaty
of Frankfort.
AS a supplementary guaranty Ger
many Is to be disarmed, forbidden to
maintain more than 100000 troops,
the Rhine is to be the military from
III tc ,ot n
have Notifications for troops west Of
the Rhine, while France in due time
will retire within her own frontiers,
thus leaving zone politically German
but militarily neutral on either bank
of the Rhine, and thus insuring France
against a new invasion of her terri
tory while she is unprepared.
There remains one single great prob
lem, probably settled, but concerning
which no details have been publish
ed: Who is to mount guard on the
Rhine during the years in which Ger
many will have to make reparation?
France and Belgium certainly, but
what of Great Britain and what of the
United States? How long will our
troops stay there, how long will the
British? What guarantees will the
English give of cooperation with the
French il the Rhine is passed by Ger
man troops? What guarantees, If any,
have we given?
Promises at Least Made
Some guarantees have certainly
been given by the British, guarantees
that are satisfactory to the French.
Some kind Of promise has been made
by the president of the United States.
How far reaching or merely formal
this promise Is remains great mys-
terry, but it is true that both the Brit |
ish and American undertakings have
pleased the French and brought bet 7
ter feeling and sense Of greater secur-
ity than have existed in many weeks. !
AS far as it affects Germany, the !
forthcoming preliminary treaty OF
peace will deprive her of between TO- !
900 and 10000 square miles OF Euro |
pean territory, inhabited by 6,O0o,OO0
to 100000 people, as well as OF her
colonies in Asia and Africa, amount |
ing to more than 100000 square miles
of territory, and from 12,OOO,0OO to
100000 people. 1t will disarm her.
1t will deprive her Of her fleet. 1t
will deprive her of her commercial
marine. 1t will temporarily, at least,
deprive her of the Saar coal region
and it will place on her burden OF
between $25,000,000,0OO and 100000
100000 of dollars to be paid as repa-
ration for her crimes in her war or
aggression. Germany will lose her
subject populations in Europe, that Is,
the people of Alsace-Loraine, the
Danes of Schleswig, the Poles OF the
eastern provinces. She may ultimate
ly be permitted to annex the German
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