The Benson signal., 1919-04-05

German state property in territories
to be ceded by the peace treaty and
the order in which the obligations of
Germany shall be imposed. AS for
the reparation to be demanded of the
Huns, the economic experts have
found the amount Of damage inflicted
by the Germans was between $685.
00O,0OO,0OO and $45,O0OOOO,OOO, but as
this is beyond the ability of Germany
to pay, the sum is being scaled down
and probably will be less than $780,
0O0,OOOOOO.
If the treaty with Germany is such
as 1t is supposed to be, Germany will
refuse to sign it. Anyhow, that is
what the press and many Of the lead
ers say. Doctor Dernburg of unsav-
ory memory. declares the German peo-
pie will not accept a treaty Of peace
that is not inspired by impartiality,
justice and spirit Of reconciliation
and that does not contain league of
nations into which Germany is admit
ted with full rights. Doctor Schiller,
minister of finance, says he has taken
a solemn oath that the government
will not surrender one inch of German
territory. The Prussian national assem-
bly, has voted against the relinquish-
ment of any of the Rhine territory, es-
pecially the Saar. basin. All over the
country meetings are being held, or
ganized by Foreign Secretary Brock
dorff-Rantzau, to protest against an
''enslaving peace" This movement,
in which all factions are joining, is
being used to reawaken the national
spirit, and the threat Of spreading
bolshevism If the demands of the Ger
man people are no& met is being used
by the leaders to intimidate the inter-
allied peace delegates. The latter,
however, do not seem especially wor-
ried, evidently taking it for granted
that Germany will have to accept any
treaty they formulate. If the Ger
mans do submit to bolshevism, it will
be of their own free will, and mainly
in spite and not because they pre-
fer that form of government"
With Hungary the case is different,
and it may well be that that cOun-
try'S new soviet government will re-
fuse to sign any treaty with the al
lies, if it survives. At the end Of the
week there were evidences that the
allies were about to take decided ac
tion against the Hungarians. The
French were urging that an army be
sent to occupy territory between Rus
sia and Hungary, and General Mangin
was recalled from Mayence in this
connection. Italian troops were re-
ported to have occupied Pressburg,
Hungary, only 35 miles from Vienna.
Allied gunboats were hurriedly sent
up the Danube for the purpose Of pro-
tecting the French and British mis-
sions in Budapest. The members Of
those missions are believed to have
escaped safely. T.
Bella Kun, as foreign minister, is
bossing the bOlshevist job in Buda-
pest, and he and his associates are
Matchmaking everything and ordering
the severest of penalties for any form
of resistance. Count Karolyi is vari-
ously reported to be executed and in
prison. The outbreak, of the reyOlu-
ton in Hungary at this time is as
cribed to the action of the French
military mission in establishing neu-
trail zone between Roumania and Hun
gary in a way that led the Hungarians
to believe their country was about to
be dismembered. The CZecho-SlOvaks,
1t was understood, went into action
against the Hungarian bolshevists at
once, some of their troops having cap
tured Raab, on the Danube, interrupt
ing communication between Budapest
and Vienna. Large Hungarian cannon
factories are situated in Raab. The
premier Of Czecho-Slovakia DR.. Karl
Kramarsz, now in Paris, declares his
country is too strong to yield to boil
shevik temptations, though he admits
it is in dangerous proximity. If boil
shevism is victorious in Russia, he
predicts that country will inevitably
fall under German influence.
Here is a peculiar contradiction of
opinions. For many months we have
been assured that the one sure thing
that would check the spread Of the
bolshevik poison, in Russia and else
where, was food; and consequently
Mr.. Hoover has been making strenu-
GUS efforts to feed central Europe.
Now an enterprising newspaper cor
respondent who has been long in Rus
Sfa and Is at nreSent in PetrOgrAd.