Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-23

asserts that nearly one-third Of the pro.
duction of the existing coal mines will
he lost But IL omits to notice that one.
fourth of the pre-war consumption OF
German coal was in the territories
which 1t now is proposed to transfer.
Further. It fails to take into account
The production OF Ignite. $4,000. 600 tons
of which were produced annually In
Germany before the war, and none OF
which is derived from the transferred
territory. Neither Is any reference
made 10 the fact, that the output of
fse1Ht IN the hon-transferred districts
gEfH rapidly Increasing before the war.
6hd that there Is no reason to doubt
aAat under proper management there
NffH be a continuing increase in the
Nt,lre.
Viewed From Wider Viewpoint.
.rRut should not the coal situation
r. viewed from a different and wider
SSandpoina? 1t cannot be forgotten
that among the most wanton acts
Hsrpetrated by the German armies
d1ring the war was the almost COM
ylaete destruction by her of the coal
aSpplies of northern France. An en-
xtYe industry was oblterated with a
calculation and "a savagery which 1t
WE'LL take many years TO repair. the
result has been a grave and PROLONGED
shortage of coal in western Europe
There can he no reason in equity why
the effect Of this shortage should be
byrne exclusively by the allied ma
tEns. who were it's victims, or why
GERMANY who deliberately made her
self responsible for the deficiency.
Should not. to the full limit Oh her
gapa city, make 1t good.
Iron Ores and Zinc.
rStress is also laid upon the hard
ships alleged to be inflicted upon Ger
many by the necessity of Importing
In the future iron ores and zinc. II
is. not understood why Germany
should be supposed to suffer from
conditions to which other countries
conten;edly submit. 1t would appear
10 lie a fundamental fallacy that the
political control of q country Is es-
sential in order to procure reason
able share of its products. Such
proposal finds no foundation in eco
homic law or in history
THE allied and associated powers
cannot accept the speculative esti-
Inete presented to them in the Ger
man note on the future conditions of
German industry as whole. This
estimate appears to them to be char
aot erized and Initiated by palpable ex-
aggerations. No notice is taken OF
the fact that the economic disaster
produced by the war Is "lutSpIc
and, indeed universal Every coun-
try is called upon to suffer. There is
no eaSon why Germany. which was
responsible for the war, should not
suffer also.
No Reliance in Data.
tSimilarly. as regards the popula-
ton of the future. no reliance can be
placed on the data which are con-
famed in the German note. On the
one hand. il is sought TO prove that
emigration from Germany will be
necessary. but that few countries will
receive the intending immigrants. On
the other hand. it is sought to show
that there will be a flood of Ger
mans returning to their native land
and live under the conditions which
have already been described as intol-
cradle. 1t would be unwise to attach
700 much weight to either specula-
ton.
rfnally, the German note rashly
asserts that the peace conditions will
logically bring about the destruction
Doss in originaD of several millions
of persons in Germany in addition to
those who have persisted in the war
or who are alleged to have lost their
lives in consequence of the blockade.
Point to Allies Losses.
against the war losses Of Germany
might very fairly I've placed the far
greater losses which her initiative
and conduct of the war have inflicted
upon the allied countries and which
have left an ineffaceable mark upon
the manhood of Europe. On the other
hand. the figures and the losses al
legged to have been caused by the
blockade are purely hypothetical
The German estimate of future losses
could be accepted only if the prem
Uses upon which it is presumed to rest
are accepted also.
Entirely Fallacious"
''But they are entirely fallacious.
There is not the slightest reason to
believe that a population is destined
TO be permanently disabled because it
will be called upon in future to trade
across iss frontiers instead Of produc-
Ing what IL requires from within. A
country can both become and can con-
tinue to be great manufacturing
country without producing the raw
materials of its main industries. Such
is the case, for instance, with Great
Britain, which imports at least one
half of her food supplies and the great
preponderance of her raw materials
from abroad.
There is no reason whatever why
Germany under the new conditions
should not build up for herself a po-
sition both of stability and prosperity
In the European world. Her terri
tories have suffered less than those
of any other continental belligerent
state during the war. Indeed. so far
as pillage or devastation is concerned,
they have not suffered at all. Their
remaining and untouched resources
supplemented by the volume of inn
port trade. should be adequate for re-
covery and development
Relief From Armament Cutting.
The German reply also ignores the
immense relief that will be caused
covery by the enforced reduction Of
her military ornaments. in future.
Hundreds of thousands of her inhab-
itants who have hitherto been en-
gagged either in training for armies
or in producing instruments Of de-
able for peaceful vocations and for in
creasing the industrial productive
ness of the nation. No result should
be more satisfactory to the German
people
Must Recognize Facts.
But the first condition of any such
recuperation would appear to be
that Germany should recognize the
facts of the present state of the world,
which she has been mainly instru-
mental in creating, and realize that
che cannot escape unscathed.
THE share which she is being called
upon TO bear of the enormous calam-
ity that has befallen the world has
been apportioned by the victorious
powers, not to her deserts, but solely
to her ability to bear It.
All Europe Suffering.