New-York tribune., 1919-04-19
Guarantees of Peace
VA Safeguarded France

saved Europe and civilization. In 1914
and 1915 she had the only army capable
Of making head against the Germans
The world in general has recognized the
greatness of Frances services and sacr-
fees. At the peace conference, however,
there has been an unfortunate DISPOSE
ton to undervaue them.
The survival of the new order in Eu-
rope depends largely on the position in
which the peace treaty leaves France.
Is she to be properly reimbursed and
strengthened? Or is she to be left a
prey to that sense of insecurity which
haunted her from 1871 to 1918?
France lost more than 100000 men
killed in action or died of wounds She
has acquired Alsace-Lorraine, with only
100000 inhabitants. Her population,
even with this accession, is probably less
than it was in 1914 Her richest IN
dustrial departments have been ravaged
1t will take her years to rehabilitate her
northern manufacturing and mining dis
trlcts. France also needs secure eastern
military frontier. Yet an unreasonable
opposition has been made in the confer
ence both to granting her adequate finan-
clal reparation and to allowing her to
hold and develop the Rhine Valley as a
barrier against still another Teuton
onslaught like that of 1870 or 1914.
The French people are going to be
greatly disappointed by the vague pro-
of
TO have been approved by the council of
four. What Germany will pay under the
treaty no one knows The only tangible
indemnity IN sight amounts to So
100000 900, and out Of this is to he taken
the cost of the military occupation Of
the Rhine district and of the supplies
of food to be furnished to the Germans.
The balance of the indemnity is to be
left to future determination. Its colec.
tlon, when fixed, will depend on the prob
lematlc functioning of the society of ma
;ions. If Germany should try to evade
payment, action to compel payment could
be blocked by a single member of the
society.
France is therefore likely to be left
for long period in the position of an
unsatistied creditor She will be weighed
down by debt. Her resources will be
less than they were before the war. For
that reason the equity of liberal terri
yorial compensation is all the more in
sllsputable. There has been a long dis
pute over giving France some proprie-
In NoN
Saar Valley contains coal mines. The
Germans destroyed the French coal
mines in the Lens district Common
justice requires transfer Of the Saar
Valley coal mines to the French. And
# the coal mines go the whole district
pught to go with them. 1t would con-
stltute very small instalment of Ger
many's debt to France.
Nothing but trouble is invited bv the
reported scheme to give the French
political control of the Saar District for
hfteen years, pending plebiscte. Such
a proceeding would keep alive local
war between the French and German
clements and might lead eventually TO
war between France and GERMANY
The transaction, whatever its character
ought TO be closed at once.
France is entitled to all the N
protection she feels she needs in +ba
German territory west of the Rhine
Inc French do not want to annex tho
rrasslan Kline province or the Bavarian
sfetatinate. But they do want to ho
aoie 10 prevent this territory-and q
considerable strip east Of the Rhra
from being used as a zone of concentra
tioh Tor German offensive aoa;ns+
france or Belgium. Whether q Rhine
~spu0'c Is set up or Prussian title .s
acknowledged under an Allied occnna+;on
- immaterial. With fortifcationa do
'nonshed, the Rhine itself International
yea and French military necessities
'ecognized, France could at last think
$SeE own eastern boundary secure.
recently dispatches from Paris bavo
oeen suggesting that France is In be f. ~
peased with Informal promises Of Amer-
can aid IN case she is threatened ~
attacked by Germany. These promises
MADE by the President alone, will lack
validity. They will not bind the rrn;,od
States unless they are included in tho
treaty and are approved by the Senate.
America is long way off. 1t took ma
twe years and half to get into the
world war and another year to send
100000 men to France.
French security should rest on actuali-