South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-23

or VIII be the danger of serious So
cial disturbances all over the world.
and the longer the delay the strong
er Germany gets and the more she
hopes TO profit by our weakness.
GERMAN PEACE TERMS
INCLUDE THREE DIVISIONS.
From Berlin there comes TO me a
clear statement that German policy
at the peace conference will consist
of three distinct divisions.
G)-The effort to exploit the
differences between the allies as
these differences have developed
during the debates in the Paris con-
ference.
(2)-An Interpretation Of Mr..
Wilson's IA points in such fashion
as TO develop a breach between the
American delegation and the allies;
and
(3)-The plan mentioned by my
Vienna witness TO refuse TO accept
the terms actually imposed and COM
pei the allies to occupy Germany
hoping not only 10 cause unrest in
the allied countries and corrupt the
allied armies with boishevism. but
also to ensure the protection of their
own property through the presence
of allied armies of occupation.
But at this point it is necessary
TO empathize another strange para
doX. The German becomes more and
more arrogant in tone and manner
but have vet TO find anybody who
has been in Germany either in the
occupied districts or beyond the
Rhine who believes that the German
will fight again not merely today or
tomorrow but for a very long time to
come. The disintegratiOn of the army
has been complete. In many places
Gisrespect and more than disrespect
is shown for the old officers. In Cal
Culating upon esca ping from the al
lied terms of peace the German is
not relying upon any possibility of
resistance. Moreover. all resistance
viii obviously be impossible because
a restoration of the blockade would
mean immediate starvation in Ger
many.
Dr. Ndehlon, almost the first con-
spicuous German TO break with his
country and announce to the world
the responsibility of Germany for
the war. not long ago told an Ameri-
can delegation on their way to Ger
many that they would find there a
complete moral bankruptcy. They
thought him unduly pessimistic but
they returned convinced OF the sad
accuracy OF his statement Nor is it
less clear that east of the Rhine the
situation steady worsens.
Germany must he fed 40 one
questions this bot the very feeding
contributes 10 a further decay of the
desire 70 work. We have after all a
clear case of moral. economic and
political exhaustion. Men who talk
with American missions on the fu-
ture Of Germany indicate quite
frankly that at least five years must
pass before Germany can reorgan-
lie herself under most favorable cir
cumstances and play a self-support-
ing part in the ecoonmic world.
And yet. again i'm the midst of all
this testimony OF confusion and dis
intregation there is equally impress
sive testimony 10 the fact that i'm
certain directions German organiza-
tion survived. I asked Mr.. Hoover
the other day what was being done
for Poland and he said he was send
ing five trains a day from Dantzig 10
Warsaw, and when I asked him il
the Germans We're making this thing
difficult ne laughed and said on the
contrary they was doing everything
10 facilitate this work for the obvi-
GUS purpose OF proving that if they
were permitted 20 retain Dantzie
there would be no interference with
I Poland access TO the open sea and
communication with the western al
/ lies. When one thinks of the utter
confusion in the railway traffic of all
I Of Europe and the practically com
plete paralysis OF German railway
traffic, 10 is clear how great and skill
I ful vancouver is this German fac
I ilitaton Of the feeling Of Poland
still another contrast, east OF the
Rhine German arrogance grows
daily but west OF the Rhine in the
occupied districts the German man
ner has become marvel 10 every
7 F'renchman and TO every English
man. The French army Of occHpa
/ ton r. treated by the natives not in
I the spirit that France treated the
German army OF Occr patton half a
century ago but rather as an army
OF guests French officer bulited in
privated houses are treated as II
they came as preferred visitors rath-
or than as agents Of the victorious
enemy