The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-01-09

" 10 WILL W iSSoii NAho "Ho oNAA>
treaties of peace in which Germany
has participated. for she is about Il
gather around another peace table
or late, only of late, Germany has
talked much of mo indemnity and nc
annexation" Note the first two de
mands she made in France. She ex
acted a billion dollars, more thar
enough to pay the costs of the war
She took Alsace-Lorraine, from which
she derived annually twenty million
tons Of coal and more iron. With
what consistency will the German del
egates stand for the proposition of nc
indemnity and no annexation!
1t will be remembered that there
was no military necessity In the
marching of German troops into Paris.
The peace treaty had been signed.
The war was over The French army
was demobilized. 1t was simply an
act of brutality on the part of the vic
tor t 0 humiliate the stricken foe. No
generous, gallant victor would have
demanded it.. 1t was German through
and through.
However, the occupation of the
Rhine by the allied armies Is as hui
initiating to Germany as was the oc-
cupation of Paris to the French. II
the French are retrospective in their
Joy, no one will blame them.
VIII the allies pattern after Ger
many in the coming peace parliament
viii Germany find that her bread cast
upon the waters has returned? In
1871 Germany would not discuss terms
Except with her guns aimed at Paris,
the heart Of France; If the French
newspapers were hostile, Paris would
be bombarded; no speculation was
made as to whether or not France
could pay the indemnity; no effort was
made to feed the starving populace of
France; no thought vas given to the
official protest of Alsace-Lorraine, to
her cry as she was ripped from the
side of her fatherland. Indemnity. an
nexation, humiliation! Those were
Germany's terms-and France paid,
paid without the simpering, whining
plea that Germany is now putting up,
There are more modern examples
of Germany's attitude around peace
tables than that afforded in 1871,
Take Rumania. When that nation
protested bitterly against the German
terms OF peace, Germany kindly re
piled that Rumania would appreciate
the moderation OF the terms when
those imposed on the western powers
were made known.
Then Germany annexed 5000 0 Ru'
manian people, which is one-tenth OF
her population, and took over. among
other things, the rich Rumanian oil
fields for ninety-nine years!
Here's a splendid precedent for the
allies. The coal mines of Germany
alone are worth what the wal cost
Where's the difficulty here? Shouldn't
the devil have his dues? II in 1871
Germany took the coal and iron mines
of France, and in 1916 the oil fields
of Rumania, why should the allies hes
itate now?
Germany a destroyed three hun
dred and fifty thousand homes and
not a home in Germany has been
damaged. What is wrong in taking
the forests Of Germany and her iron
mines to rebuild these homes? 1t is
not the doctrine of an eye for an eye
1t is just plain common justice, and
the application of the square deal.
Two brutal monarchies, built VI
largely of stolen territories and wealth
lie today in the ashes of complete de
feat. The wheel of fate has come
round full circle, and W. are discuss
ing today the same problems Bis
marck and the houses Of Hohenzol
lern and Hapsburg discussed. But WI
are discussing them from the opposite
side. In their adjudication the allies
will let live. But that will not be theil
first consideration. The first and chie'
concern of the allies is to live them