Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-10
Germany and a Just Peace
David Jayne Hill in North American Review.

| David Jayne Hill in North American Review.
Will the German people. whose sense of
justice, honor and moral obligation is soon to
/ be put TO a crucial test voluntarily accept the
/ burdens which just peace will impose upon
! theml If not, what confidence can be placed
in the proposal to make the world safe for
democracy and what will be the worlds judg-
nent upon the ethical standards OF democracy
itself2 We shall soon learn from the conduct
OF Germany now speaking only through mask
of democracy, whether or not we are to ascribe
all the enormites of the war to the depravty
and malevolence of her rulers, against whom,
until the moment of defeat, the people offered
no protest; and whether or not people, left
free to express its own character, will accept
the burdens of an act of justice.
The greatest hardship for the Germans will
be the deficiency of raw materials for manufac-
ture; such as cotton, wool, copper, iron, rub
Der and many others. They will doubtless
plead for these at the peace table as absolutely
essential to them. If they were wholly withheld
it would, of course, be impossible for the Ger
mans to pay any indemnities, because they can
only pay to the extent to which they are able
to earn the means of payment. This is so OBJ
vious that it will probably be strongly urged
upon the allies in order to procure the means to
facilitate Germanys economic rehabilitation.
"You must either excuse US from all payments
of indemnities," it will no doubt be pleaded, cor
you must grant US full supply of the raw ma
terials to which we may give value by our skill
ana Workmanship, IN OTQeT LHat we may sell
them at prices which will enable us to live and
at the same time create an increment of value
tor your benefit"
If, however, this argument should prevail,
its inevitable consequence should not be over
looked. If raw materials are furnished to the
extent of Germanys demand, German manu-
features will at once obtain an immense accel-
Grafton, German goods will food every market
and the less favored countries will be driven
out of the worlds marts by an excess OF Ger
man production and German methods of COM
mercial exploitation. 1t would not require many
years for Germany, with these advantages, even
though promising the payment of heavy money
fndemnitles, to have so taken possession of the
worlds markets as to make the arrangement a
profitable bargain. While the Belgians and the
French were slowly recovering their productive
capacity by restoration of their ruined indus |
trial plants, Germany would completely fore
stall them in securing foreign trade. Such a |
program would, in effect, be the formation of
a partnership in which, to secure a portion of
Germany's gains in the form of an indemnity |
they would surrender to her the conduct of
foreign business while they themselves were
engaged in merely recovering, to some extent, |
the productive efficiency of which Germany's |
invasion had deprived them.
To appreciate the full significance of such an
arrangement, it is necessary to consider that, |
while Germany's manufacturing plants have not
been in any way impaired, and are ready to
begin operation, those of Belgium and north
western France have been practically destroyed
It is reported that 10000 factories in the French
districts occupied by the Germans are either
wholly demolished or stripped of their machin-
cry; which. with the looms and other portable
means of industry of Belgium, has been car
ried into Germany
The remedy which justice would seem to
demand is evident, Whatever of value has
been carried into Germany should be mmedi-
ately brought back and replaced The recon-
struction of houses, factories and other ediices
should then be speedily brought to completion
by German workmen at Germany's expense,
aided by those natives who, for the time being,
have no other employment, all their labor to be
paid for by Germany. In so far as the Ger
man shipyards can replace the tonnage de-
stroyed, they should be at once employed for
the purpose; and only such ships should be
allowed for German trade as may be necessary
for the distribution of Germany's just proper
ton of overseas commerce. The other forms
of indemnity would not be cancelled by this
process of restoration; but the liquidation of
these obligations might ultimately be accom-
plshed by the saving of all expense for military
beyond mere domestic police duty in
Germany, by special import licenses on German
goods, and by the appropriation of percentage
Of the profits of Germany's coal and potash
Mines
This would be undoubtedly a heavy burden
for a conquered people to bear; but it is less
than it was the German purpose to impose
upon the innocent victims of their imperial !
schemes of conquest