The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-23
Allies Refuse To Soften Eco
nOmic Terms of Treaty.
ScathingIy DenOunce Germany's
Conduct of War.
SAY GERMAN FIGURES "LIE"
Point to U-BOat Sinkings and
Destruction as Answer.
Foe Started the War-He Must
Share in Sufferings.

nunciation of Germanys conduct OF
the war, the allies have refused to ac-
cept the contentious put forward by
the German delegates regarding eco
aonic conditions in their country.
The reply, made public today
charged that the report OF the GER
man economic commission. upon
which Foreign Minister Brockdorft-
Rantzau's note was based, is marked
in parts by great exaggeration.
Foe Was Responsible.
~Germany's economic status under
the terms of the peace treaty is the
result of her own behavior particu-
larly thru the ruthless submarine
warfare the allied and associated
council informed Count Won Brock
dorff- -Rantzau.
The loss to world shipping thru the
German submarine campaign, it Is
declared in reply. was nearly thirteen
million tons. The allies propose 10
make Germany repay only four mil
lion tons. Responsibility for tins
shortage in shipping is placed directly
on Germany and the German share
i'm repla cling it is called very mod
crate"
Forgot About Treaty.
In answer to the German plea that
Germany will he called upon to feed
67.000,OO0 persons, it is declared that
the peace treaty takes 100000 out of
man agriculture is in better shape
than that Of Pollard. Belgium and
northern France, where the fighting
was heaviest.
The Germans complained that they
would lose certain necessary commodi-
tics. The allied reply is that Germany
can import these goods. Germany II
is asserted. destroyed the Lens coal
fields and the coal fields taken from
her in payment for the destruction
wrought still leaves her sufficient
sources of fuel.
The Germans complained that the
German population would suffer un-
der the treaty. which was described as
a death sentence" The reply points
out that alI-countries are suffering as
a result of the war and there IS no
reason why Germany. which was re-
sponsible for the war, should not SUI
fer
Hun Figures FnIlacious.
German figures as to the loss in
population due to the blockade and
speculation as to what Will happen TO
the population in the future are de-
CIared to be "fallacious." There VIII
he every opportunity for Germany tD
make her position in the world boGl
stable and prosperous Germany, II is
pointed out. has not suffered from
pillage and devastation and there Will
be a saving from reduction of arma-
ments and the size of her army and IN
turning of the armament making pop
The allied reply says in part:
The German note opens with the state
1ntut that the industrial resources Of Ger
many were Inadequate before the for
the nourishmeut Of Il population of "a. .NOO-
600 and it argues tho this were the total
for which the diminished resources she
still has will be called upon to provide.
This is not the case. The total population
"f Germany will be reduced about 5000
uOO persons in non German territories,
which II is proposed to transfer. 1t Is the
needs of this smaller aggregation that We
are called upon to consider
Pay for U-BOats' Work.
'Complaint is made in the German note
that Germany is required to surrender her
merchant tonnage. existing or IN course
Of construction, and that prior claim Is
made upon her ship building capacity for
limited t'rm Of years No mention. how
ever. Is made Of the fact that n consider
able portion Of the smaller tonnage OF
Germany is left to her unimpaired; and it
seems to have entirely escaped the notice
of her spokesmen that the sacrifice of her
lnrEcr shipping is the inevitable and the
necessary penalty for the ruthless cam,
paiGn which. In defiance OF all laws ana
prccedents. she wuged during the last two
years Of the war upon the mercantile ship
ping of the world. As partial offset
against the T.. 100000 of shipping sunk. it
is proposed to transfer 4;0O0,OOO tons of
German shipping. The universal shortage
nf shipping is the result. not of the terms
Of peace. but of the action of Germany,
and no surprise can he felt il She is called
upon to give her share, ana 1t is n very
moderate share, of a loss for which her
own criminal deeds have been responsible.
the eastern side Germany shall be de-
prived Of the regions specially devoted to
the production Of wheat and potatoes. But
the note fails altogether to observe that
there is nothing in the peace treaty to pre-
vent either the continued production of
these commodities In the areas in question
their Importation into Germany. More
over. II is fortunate for Germany that these
regions have lost none Of their productivity
owing to the ravages of war. They have
escaped the shocking fate which was dealt
out by the German armies to the
responding territories in Belgium and
France on the west and Poland, Russia
Rumania and Serbia on the east.
on Coal Mines.
The German note makes special com
Ulaiut Of the deprivation of coal. and as
serts that nearly onethird Of the produc-
lions Of the existing coal mines will he
lost. But 1t omits to notice that fourth
or the pre-war consumption Of German
proposed TO trnnsfer. But should not the
coal situation be viewed from "a different
and wider standpoint? 1t cannot be for
gotten that among the most wantou acts
uf devastation perpetrated by the tierman
armies during the war was the almost com
piete destruction by her Of the coal sup
plies Of northern France. An entire in
dustry WAS obliterated with u calculation
ana suvnEery which will take many yenrs
to repair The result has been Il great and
prolonged shortage Of coal I'm western
Europe There can be reason in equity
why the effect Of this shortage should be
borne exclusively by the allied nations or
self responsible for the deficiency shouId
it good.
Huns Must Suffer Too.
The allied and associated powcrs cam
not accept the speculative estimate in the
German note on the future conditions of
to be characterized by palpabIe exarrers
tions. No note is taken of the fact that
is widespread and indeed universal There
- ln reason why tiermanN. which was