The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-17
Rx ERAhk =. slMoNps.

PARIS, May 12.-At the outset of
the discussion in detail of the terms
of the treaty of peace which have
been served upon the Germans, it is
essential to recognize two fundamental
differences between this peace and all
previous great settlements of modern
history. In the treaty of Versailles,
recognition is taken of a new order
in the world. Hitherto the end of
great war has been followed by set
tlement based mainly on territorial
compensation to the victors and only
incidentally by financial awards.
France liquidated her debt to her con-
querors at the end of twenty odd years
of revolutionary and Napoleonic wars
by the payment of 140 millions of dol
lars She paid for the Franco-Prus-
sian war financially by giving to Ger
many billion dollars. The measure
of a war in the past has been the
provinces won and lost.
But modern war is different thing
The peace which we are to impose up
on Germany is primarily economic
rather than territorial. We are going
to put Germany to work for thirty
years to pay some portion, not of the
cost of war to her enemies-this would
be impossible-but to pay for the de-
vastation which she has created on
sea and on land. After the Treaty Of
Frankfort, France resumed her own
existence without enemy occupation in
les than three years. We have fore
seen the occupation of German terri
tory for fifteen years, with possible
indefinite extension if the terms are
not complied with. And there can be
no mistake in the fact that we have
put Germany into economic bondage
for a generation, bondage deserved,
bondage inevitable, given her
crimes, but no less bondage. We
| have taken her shipping, we have TAX
en- vast amounts of material to re-
place what she has stolen and de-
strowed, and if it be exageration to
/ say Germany is ruined, it certainly
canot be beyond the mark to say that
for a half century she will be in the
| hands of her creditors, financially, pro-
vided the terms of peace stand.
Former Wars Undestructive.
! Looking to the future it is well to
consider what this means. Ancient war
was comparatively inexpensive. It-was
ridicuIously undestructive. Cities and
| towns survived and resumed their
agricultural occupation the day after
a battle; but modern war wipes cities
eff the map and the loser in modern
war must confront consequences be
yond the conception of anyone in the
past.
So much for the fact that this is
primarily an economic punishment OF
/ Germany. Now, in the second place
this peace cannot be a settlement ex
cept in the narrowest sense, because
it settles nothing. 1t only arranges
/ a method of settlement. 1t leaves il
for the future 60 enforce terms 1t
adjures, in all essential cases with
| minor exceptions, the liquidation
| which hitherto has promptly followed
war. Therefore, it is impossible now
to go beyond the statement that if the
| terms of peace can be enforced and
are enforced, it is just peace. But
it may be generation, granted thai
Germany does accept the treaty Of
peace, before anybody can measure
its real value.
There is a third circumstance ot
4 major Importance. The treaty o.
peace as drafted represents three thor
oughly distinct points of view-Amer
ican, British, Continental. The Amer
ican point of view was comprehendet