Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-07
IOREMOvEFOE'S
MILITARY POWER
Treaty Limits German Army
and Restricts Nations
Naval Strength
PLANES BARRED TO ENEMY
London Times.Pubiic Ledger Serrice
fReprinted from this mornings Public
N Ledger


London. May THE Times. in an
EDITORIAL discussing the peace terms,
mys:
Tho military and naval conditions
are undeniably severe, but not in our
opinion whit more stringent than the
safety of Europe and of the world rc-
qnires. They provide for the reduction
OF the German army to force which
must at no time exceed 100 200 men.
II is said that Won Hindouburg has
twice that number under his command
at this moment
Thcy limit the German armamcnts
on land and German stocks of am
munition to very small figures. The
scale may be Judged by tho restriction
of Germany A. guns. the heaviest
she Is to be allowed. to no moro than
lS4 and of he,' heavy machine guns TO
156. The Az guns are to be "ratiourd"
on about 6I 900 rounds and field guns
on 204, 900 rounds
To Destroy Militarism
Still more fatal to the early revival
OF tmilitarism' are provisions designed
70 destroy the institution which breath
ed its evil spirit into tho OH German
army and into the German people. The
great general staff aud all like organ
kations are to disappear. The lumber
Of officers is not TO exceed the 1000
officers now in service who arc retained.
They must remain in it until they are
forty five, and new officers must bc kept
upon the active list for twenty five
years. Retired officers must not take
part in military training and arc 10 be
free from all military obligations. There
Is to be but one military school for
each arm and military training in other
schools or by associations is not forgot
ten, and is prohibited. Universal mill.
tary service is, of course. abolished.
and all possible care is exercised to
prevent repetition of tho Krumpcr trick
of 1907 -.
Similar measures arc taken to pre-
vent the German navy from recovering
from its defeat 1t. too. is strictly
rationed in men and in ships. II is TO
consist of not moro than six heavy
0attleships. as many light cruisers and
dozen drstrOyers and tOrpedobOats.
Germany is to possess no submarines.
not even for purposes of commerce.
The personnel is to be reduced to H..
600, all told. including 1900 officers
and warrant officers. Here. too. vigor-
Gus precautions against evasion are pre-
scribed.
l Allow Foe No Planes
"Gcrmauy is TO have no airplanrs
after October ] and no dirigibles. The
air forces are to be dcmobiliz"d and
all aviation grounds within 100 kiIo-
meters of the right bank of the Rhine
are to be plowcd up and all fOrtifica-
tions for fifty miles east of the river
are to be dismantled All of these pro
visions are TO be carried out within
periods fixed at two or three months
from the signature of the treaty.
The articles on rcpara tion may not
seem so satisfactory. but the principle
that Germany is to accept responsibility
for all loss and damage she has done
appears to be accepted. At the same
time we are told thar the Allies rPcog
nize her inability and the inability Of
her confedcratcs to make this loss and
damage good Apparently she is to b."
obliged to make good all the damage
z TO civilian populations of the regions
she has devastated.
u .'How much further her obligations
are to be enforced remains obscure, and
she is to have thirty years--a long day
y Ito pay what an inter Allied rommis
sion shall decide to be the whole sum
she is to pay. While this seems still
to be undetermined the installments
+ payable in 1919 and 1920 are fixed by
\ the treaty at II 600 900 900 5000. =
q 900, ,000). The Allies take the power to
4 decide that part payment of this amount
may be made in ships.
''Is this the only way in which the
ton for ton policy. which figured SC
prominently on eectioneering platforms
is to be carried out? The nation will
anxiously await a clear and positive
statement on the subject. II pledges
h given on matter of such special and
vital importance to England are to bt
treated as Just words bitter disap
pointment and keen resentment agains
y the government will be widespread anC
lasting in the country. boat piracy
will have attained one of its main ends
despite our victory. 1t will have Grip
pied our commerce and therefore oul
3 whole industrial life during the all
y Important period of reconstruction AM
u crippled them as it was meant to do t,
the direct advantage of our defeatPt
n rivals.
Stick to Demands
srhe demands of the Allies and tn
b United States in regard to the renunci
alton OF all Germany's oversee right
and titles, to the restoration of Alsac
and lorraine, to the Saar BASIN recti
fication of the Belgian frontier, punish
ment of German crimes. the future O
Schleswig and the corridor from Pc
land to Danzig do not differ essential
y from those described as probable in ou
Paris correspondence. Newer TO mos
Of us are series of elaborate arrange
K nents. some Of a very important kind
outlined under the headings of Eco
nopaic Conditions and Finance
4 Customs, shipping, the most favored
Z nation treatment for the Allies and as
sociates, the validity of certain con
tracts and the collection of debts will b
found among them. Their multiplied
gives some idea of the interrelations {
modern commerce and of the enormOu
}abor which the commissions Of the con
fetfuce must have expended upon then
Finally, ii must be remembered tha
many OF the clauses are closely inter