New-York tribune., 1919-12-14

range u Loi0oH, once the Biz
Berthas were set up again.
Present Regime Doomed
In sum, as a military proposito.
it seems to me that any successful,
German reaction would be imYos-
sible. But this is not to say that
such a reaction may not take place
1t is plain that the present regime
cannot last long now The tide has
set against it. Wisely or unwisely-
and it seems to be unwisely-tne AL
lies have been unable to adopt po,-
icy which might have made the sur-
vival of the present regime possible.
Such a policy would not have beer
based upon sympathy with Germany
or originate in any misinterpreta-
tion Of certain German facts which
the war has established. It would
be founded upon self-interest rather
than idealism, but it would take coz
nizance Of the fact that if ali Ger
mans are equally suspect as conse
quence Of recent events, certain Ger
mans are still manifestly more dan
gerous than others, and none so men,
acing as those who were actually in
control when the ate war came. asa
result of their plana
II the presen, regime in Germany
falls, as seems almost certain, one Of
two things must happen: either the
"old gang" will come back or Ger
many will sink into anarchy and
chaos. The latter possibility seems
less likely. But if the "o.d gang
comes back it can only conduct itself
in one way. IL is as incapable Of
learning as were the Bourbons Of
century ago. 1t steadily maintains
that Germany's present evils are due
to the weakness of the present
regime in the presence of the Allies.
But, once restored to power, it vii.
have to adopt the other course. both
because of it's permanent character
and its recent criticism, and the Other
course leads straight to new military
operations.
A new war with the Germans Wi.
hardly be long war, because the
world cannot endure any new strain
which is prolonged. If the British
and the French people consent u
fight the Germans again it viii be
because it offers a short solution -
problem for which any other sou-
ton seems interminabies That the
Germans will succumb even more
quickly than Napoleon, whose second
span was measured by the famous
Hundred Days" seems to me inevl-
table. A second defeat may exhaus.
the remaining credit of the old
regime, just as the Napoleonlc star
set at Waterloo. It will certainly
bring new conditions Of peace, new
world settlement, but in that settle
ment very few of the principles dis
cussed at Paris will be considered
But terrible as is the prospect Of
new hostilities, it begins to seem as
If there were no other way in which
to have done with the Germans.
The odds against a German rising
remain heavy. The absence Of any
real chance of success must act as
{. deterrent to the military men. vino
are behind the new, as Of the old,
stirring of German junkerdom. But
the very weakness Of the existing
regime seems to insure a swift fall.
and after that fall the generals and
the Junkers will have no choice bu.
to take hold, and, taking hold, t.,
put into practice the ideas thcy
have been more and more openly
preaching. To put these ideas mo
practice leads, in nay judgment, 70
Waterloo, and not to Leipsic, bul
even this certainty can hardly nrt-
vent the Junkers from grasp.ng tne
reins once more.
America has settled back, wearied
and bored with European affairs,
giving attention only to domestic
concerns and internal problems. but
it must at least be recognized ca
this side Of the ocean that, far from
improving, the European conditions
ere steadily worsening, and Europe
is once more, in Germany as liz
Italy, on the Baltic as along tbs
Adriatic, ON the edge Of a fresh uo-
heaval Within the last few weeks
we have had startling reminders
that Allied policy has failed When
applied to Russia, Italy, German
and Rumania. From the Baltic t.
the Balkans such peace as exists Is.
to say the least, precarious, and i.
more than one instance domestic