The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-08

longer find support among inhabitants
of the region We're to form the basis OF
new Europe, endless future trouble
would be assured.
The Saar Region.
BY contrast, the American mind has
been deply impressed by the fact that
Germany has not fought this war as
a civilized nation, that her depreda-
lions in Northern France were de-
signed to produce paralysis of French
industry to the profit of Germany, and
that, as result of destruction in the
Lens coal area, France will be at the
mercy of her neighbors in the, matter
of coal for long years to come, unless
she receiv the Saar coal region.
Clearly, American sympathy and in.
fuence in Paris lean towards accept
ing the following solution: First, am
nexation without reservation of the
whole Saar coal area, amounting to
some thousand square miles and con-
tanning some three hundred thousand
inhabitants. tn i3sSIl
Second, valuation of this region in
terms of money and subtraction of this
sum from the total damage claim
which is to be brought by France
against Germany.
To Pe Payment.
In word, the Saar coal region is
to be regarded purely and simply as
payment by Germany for destruction,
wanton and indefensible destruction,
in Northern France. and France is to
accept this payment as a partial dis
charge of German obligations. Unless
all signs fail, this is to be the western
solution.
Pending the discharge of her obliga-
tons, Germany will have to consent
to the occupation of her Rhine terri
tory, comparable to her occupation of
the eastern departments of France
after 1871, until France had paid the
indemnity imposed upon her by Bis
mark. During the period of occupa-
ton, the Rhine territories are to be
separated from Germany and to be
permitted to have their own political
organizations, their own political life,
but not as a part of Germany.
Instead, they are to unite in an in
dependent state of their own, in which
order will be assured by Allied armies
of occupation, and they will be equally
guaranteed against the danger of Ger
man revolution and against the posi-
bilities of annexation by France or
Belgium.
In a word, they become for that in
definite period of Allied occupation
which may last for a decade, the joint
mandatory of all the nations who sub
scribed to the League, and during this
whole time Germany will end at the
Rhine and France, while she is recov-
ering from the wound of the last war,
will have nothing to fear from a new
German attack and French and Bel
gian restoration can proceed without
any hesitation resulting from German
anxieties.
Seek Security.
This will, | think, prove to be the
settlement which will be agreed upon
by all the Allied nations within the
next two weeks. The realization that
the American commissioners here are
sympathetic with such a settlement,
which from the French point of view
is a matter of life and death, has re-
suited in a very great modification of
feeling on the part of the French, who
in recent weeks have had fear that
Americans too little appreciate the
problems which were vital to France;
and no one could fail to have remarked
the very great improvement in the
the atmosphere Of Paris within the
last ten days.