El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-16
TO BE AN AMERICAN MEANS FREEDOM
FROM THE WOES DEPRESSING EUROPEI

THE Ell PASoAN with his $780, less, of property
tax his not excessive income and lot Of minor
taxes luxuries medicines amusements and so forth
most Of which he notices. is very fortunate indi
vidua if he only knows it. If not let him 60 to Europe
and find what he has been missing by being an American
Dsregarding bolshevism in all its major and minor
phases Europe IS sick and off its feet Only careful
handling viii renew its strength
France among those countries suffering most from
We familiar in this country with accounts
Of how the Germans, in their retreat, ruined public build
inqs DESTROYED homes and factories wrecked mines
10 make them nearly useless cut down fruit trees laid
vineyards and changed most productive country
desert According to French reports the Germans
followed the policy with respect to railroads as to
everything else They went further in their work of de-
struction than military policy dictated. They de-
stroyed everything they could not carry off.
For instance, IN evacuatng territory, they might have
destroyed rail lines just enough to prevent the incoming
allies from using them Mexican faction crppes rail-
road Just enough prevent its for the time being, but
does not try destroy it entirely The Germans did.
The report of the French minister public
that $500 miles of standard Iackage 1900 miles of
gage Ines 1900 bridges than II feet long and IL
tunnels totally wrecked This does not include sta
ton houses, switching facilities loading cranes and other
railroad property.
The idea in all German destruction was to cripple
France not only for the duration Of the but also for
generations afterward It was highly successful IN
transportation manufacture, agriculture mining horcul
ture business affairs in genereVen in the plain matter
existing-the French have had terrible setback They
lost every way and for multiplied years they are
going to have hard time to recover.
As for the situation in Germany
we are ABOUT 10 enter upon 40 years march through
desert IS the picturesque expression used by the Ger
minister Of foreign affairs in the debate by the
Wemar national assembly Immediately preceding the rat
fcation OF the peace treaty.
Il happens that Germany succeeded in escaping the
destruction and devastation that all but overwhelmed
France, but Germany faces desolaton of other kinds
Germany pay and the payment hard. It logical
to suppose that the furtive German mind viii seek
of escape from penalties but for the time
Germany nothing to do but comply with the peace
treaty's provisions.
only by the closest economy can Germany rescue her
self from the meshes of debt IN which she is enangled
floating debt of 720ooo0oooo marks is observed
recently by herr Erzberge who helping steer the German
ship Of state among the rocks, "a constant danger In
addition Germany faced with deficit of estimated
revenues Of 10oo0Oooooo marks. Erzberger that
he empires (he slipped and used the wrong word there)
income must be increased 900 percent and that Of ind
vdual states and perhaps 100 percent" Erz
berger realizes that the burdens Of taxation necessary to
cope with this situation be It is the
German view that Germans VIII be virtual slaves to the
allies for years to come working TO pay off the debt
and with little than the barest existence for them
selves One wonders many thousands OF Germans, re
gardng the future in Germany too black viii seek to
slip away to other favored lands. They viii not
relish being herded 20 the treadmill
The situation IN England is not acute as that in
Germany, but It IS bad enough. Almost at the same
moment that Erzberger addressing the national !