Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-16

of the peace terms from a purely
military standpoint.
Important Lines Cut.
The mighty barrier of the Rhine
is lost to us by the brdgeheads long
remaining in French hands, although
! the experience of war showed accept
, ed ideas about river defense to he
! largely changed. Prohibition Of forti-
ficatiOns within fifty kilometers west
4 of the Rhine is less important in view
/ of present teChnc and tenability
which field positions showed in this
! war in the east. However we shall
he greatly handicapped in the use of
an important war weapon railroads.
not only because the Polish wedge
along the Nistula to the Baltic cuts the
rail connections with East Prussia,
| but the important functions of Bent
schen and SchnCidemuhl have been
/ taken from us in addition to rail lines
! in the east run mostly on the territory
OF our new neighbor.
" Adhesive factor in rendering Ger
many defenseless however, is the
limitation on the army one does not
! know whether to credit these regula-
| tons to fear of former milltarism or
TO the delletantism of their authors
as, for instance, the demand for the
abolition of military schemes and the
| great general staff. Giving up ire
| mendOus masses of war material COM
| pletes to whole.
The German army would be insult
! ficient for the preservation Of internal
order and border police, whereas our
! long boundaries, with many salients
in the east, whereby in the Vistula re-
| gion we must calculate with two enc
my demands such protection is in
! creased to an extent. The simplest
soul after the recent experiences, viii
| not believe the Poles suddenly have
changed into lambs. The Czechs, too,
form an unquiet element. Like nation
ais who have without their own eff
forts and merits obtained great things
the Poles will be all the grcedier
ISOLATE East Prussia, in the midst
of Slav surroundings, will need par
ticularly strong protection merely for
policing. Quite apart from warlike ac-
tivities, very expensive mercenary
army is permanently forced on Ger
many. Recruiting will become very
! difficult when labor conditions inn
prove. 1t is quite impossible for us
to give up recruiting On basis of uni
NGlSdl COM pttlSplS SCI NlCt' me ICelt ut
of nations, from which at present we
are to be excluded, does not guarar-
tee the safety we need. Even if we
cling to compulsory military service,
there can be no talk of militaristic
control. Regulation of the army must
be left to us if we are not to become
a nation of slaves permanently"
Saturday morning Germany, the
Hamlet of the nations, was still solilo
quizing sign or not to sign" unable
to make up its mind to exc out an eX-
istence by answering yes or to COM
init suicide with heroic gesture by
| saying no.
Masses Are Quiet.
Some clear outlines, however, were
emerging from the chaos of opinion.
To the eye Germany is unchanged
You gather that an acute peace crisis
exists only fro mthe papers. Berlin
is funereally quiet and peaceful; there
is not the slightest trace of popular
excitement or of unusual interest. II
| is a most uncritical crisis, devoid OF
spectacular and dramatic elements
| There is literally nothing to see or tc
| hear about the town. AS yet the