Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-09
THE GOWNSMAN
Made in Germany

Made in Germany
TESS than a month ago, at a dinner OF
- literary people and scholars in New York.
n professor of American birth and name
known for his German sympathies before
America went into the war and remembered
as one of the much-feted exchange professors
at Berlin. told a little story-or spread a lit
tie tale-somewhat in this wise: DO you
know, sir, that FOR every yard Of the trenches
occupied by American troops In France the
United States Government is paying France
a handsome rentai3 And what Is more, our
Government has obligated itself to fill these
trenches, obliterate all signs Of them, ana
reclaim the land to agriculture. until which
time the rent will continue. ] tell you, SIT
the French are In this for what they can &c,
out Of It; they are a very grasping people,
And he further substantiated his story by
saying that he had a relative who Is asso-
clated with a considerable number OF other
lawyers apparently abroad), who had TINS
momentous matter in charge.
TNIi1S story has not come to the Gownsman
- through any intermediary. The professor
mentioned above told Il to tho Gownsman
''e ~ 'ii W >
sides. the Gownsmsn, it appears, was only
ono of several persons thus Informed on
that particular occasion. This he knows, be-
cause two other persons spoke TO him that
evening about the matter as just learned from
the source of the Gownsman's information.
Moreover, the same professor of sometime
notable German sympathies exhibited him
self as deeply Interested in "A memorial. TO be
addressed to the Peace Commission at Paris.
asking that a stop he put TO certain out
~ageous proceedings of the Turks. Naturally,
)ne might suppose that the Armenian mas
sacres. or at least outrages on American
property in Turkey, would be the matter in
question. But no 1t seems that these out
rageous proceedings Of the Turks concern
their disregard for ancient monuments OF art
and their conversion OF precious marble statu-
airy into lime a practice which has continued
among all barbarians since the time of the
Roman Empire.
TT is no wonder that this tender solicitude
L for Fighting great wrongs should have
brought about a sharp and eloquent reminder
to the friend of Germany. then and there. that
there are other and greater barbarians even
than the Turks. without whose ~abetting aid
thousands of horrors more terrible than the
destruction of Greek marbles could not have
been perpetrated. whose own deeds Of violence
and raplne have appalled, the world. But this
is wandering from the subject in hand.
CKEPTICAL and worried about this story
- Of the American Governments payment
for the privilege of saving France in distress,
the Gownsman pursued certain inquiries.
Meanwhile the tale had got into the papers, |
as arranged no doubt, and become widespread.
\ hard headed American business man, asked
his opinion as to the possibility of the truth
in such a story. said that lie feared that it
might be moro or less true, though he did
not like to believe it. The Gownsman dis
counted this reluctant incredibly by remom-
boring the business mans politics and his
faith in that panacea, a high tariff. An
inquiry of Il Government official in Washing
ton ELECTED a denial as to any knowledge on
the subject. but this offered explanation.
Clearly the French peasant whose land has
been ramplcd by the conflict of armies stands
to lose by the occupation of his fields, even
by the forces who defend him. Perhaps the
paternal French Government had undertaken
to reimburse individual owners for such
losses, the reimbursement taking the form of
rent and restoration to previous agricultural
conditions. The American army coming In
inquired: How do you manage these mat
ters?" Thus and So" We'll, we will do as
much as the French Government for that in
which we are concerned"
Nh ,nu, ,,,,g .',r.,;, - r--,-
n head OF the general commission for
F~ranco-hmcrican war matters, TO deny Off
cially in the most categorical fashion, that
the American Government has ever paid or
been asked TO pay rent for reconquered ter
ritory under the circumstances alleged or
any other, adding at is Germany who will
pay the war indemnities when these claims
shall be established" In a talk TO the Asso.
ciatcd Press. which ought to receive greater
publicity than has been given 1t. Captain
Tardieu tells how the rules applicable TO
American units as to requisition and the
prices involved are precisely those applicable
to French units, except that all hospitals and
other public establishments have been placed
at the disposition of the American army
gratis, In the rear zone. all questions of
indemnity to private parties are treated on
the same basis by the French and Allied
armies. The regulation of these questions is
vested with the American Staff Bureau at
Tours, . The American staff is sole
Judge Of all claims, and no recourse has been
opened to claimants up to this time for an
peals from its decisions" The story with i,s
successive explanations reminds the Gowns
man of the defense of "A certain man, hailed
Into court on the charge of keeping a vicious
dog, In the first place, your honor, my dog
has no teeth and so could have bitten nobody,
Secondly, this person was bitten last month,
my dog died six years ago. Thirdly, | have
never owned a dog"
THE dragon of German propaganda has
J. been scotChed, out II Will not die until
shutdown. that shutdown which shall bring