The Washington herald., 1919-04-09
What l. Left 10 Taxi

What l. Left To Taxi
Il These were the unpleasant figures
which had to come out Of the Peace
Conference in the final settlement
with Germany. But they had 10 come.
II took two or three allied lives TO get
one German and over 8 in cash for
every dollar the Germans spent dofu-
the job. or course, d had 10 De done.
the job was WORTH what IL cost. Tor
after it was finished the world
breathcd more easily. but the world
expected defeated Germany 10 pay
the costs. And now everyone rnows
that Germany cannot pay-cither in
cash or kind-not now. Moreover. I'M
less the allies are exceedingly careful
Germany will turn into an economic
victory the military loss which she
suffered on the Western Front. Such
is the crazy decision OF the court Of
war
It may be well TO consider for a
moment the paying ability Of Ger
many. Now the French minister of
finance proposed to tax German capi-
tai which DC estimated TO be enough
to pay the worlds war debt. But un-
fortunately that capital consists o.
railroads mines factories ard for
ests. II cannot he transported 20
France. Italy auds2ngIsnd. mucn less
10 America. GerRany's taxable prop
cTty, SO far as drawing taxes into the
treasures Of the allies. must be the
gross income Of Germany and the neg
ligfhbc amount OF gold she has on
hsNd- The gross income or Germany
before the war was about 50. o1o -.
a wear. That included tho money she
received for everything harIcrvd NJ
tpraIly her income now is murH small
or. II will be much smaller than So
n'aooo.coo even II business should pick
mp tremendously in Germany. Tor tho
Rllic~ have taken from her some ~
- chi,r sources OF Yer income. ~"
have taken from Germany Go or 90 r,.r
cent OF her iron tn AIsacc and Tor
raine and 3o per cent Of her coal N
the Saar Valley and 20 per con. a. T.-
nitrate. which arc incomc-bcarfrr
products. and on top 90 that ar have
taken the German ships which .s1~-
tain her foreign commerce and lorC-
motives which carry the internal COM
lucrco. It was certainly Just and nee
c~Ssrv TO take this territory. those
ships and the locomotives The ships
and locomotives will hardly REPLACE
allied ships and engines stolen and
destroyed bv the GcrmaI.. durn- tho
war Moreover. it is but sust thai tho
allies should 20 into Ci,rman racforfoz
and take out the maChfnor. stolen
from Belgium and Northern FRANCE
ana Poland. 4 curious side light upon
Germany's psychology is found IN tho
protest OF the Germans against this
procedure. They answer that whfIe
they did take these thiurs-r~-novrn-
machinery by the thousands Of tons
it was done in war; il is now part
Of German iudustr-.. and in peace 10 g.
unfair TO disturb German industry by
| returning tho stolen goods either fn
actual parts or in kind, Blu, Gg--
many must pay iu parts or in KIND
ever. thoIG by pavrua thus tho Ger
man income. which is tho only taxable
source in Germany. is reduced 20 a
nontaNabIc minimum.
VIII Pay Indirectly.
But in imagining that she can cs-
cape ultimate payment for Tbc cost
OF the war Germany is trying TO for
get that the victory was n mftsr-
victory and not a negotiated peace.
Possibly Germany may not have 20
pay directly. TO pay France and Bel
gium and Poland. for instance. but
in the end she must pay. The loss OF
the German colonies, the loss Of Alssca
and Lorraine, the loss OF the Valley %
the SaaE. the loss OF the west bank o.
the Rhine Ceven though temporarily
during the period OF reconstruction.
; all these losses will come from Ger
, many in lieu OF the indemnity which
the allies should have But these
German losses will not restore France
and Belgium. Indeed. nothing will re-
store the losses Of France and Bel
Eium. Billions of treasure poured into
, the devastated area today would not
restore the things the Germans ruined
. there From the mountains TO tho
, sea. COO miles in extent the Ieprous
. scsb OF war. wide white crumbliug
ruin OF iumbicd stone and limo. OF
iron snd brick. stretches across
J Europe-thc shattered Industries. the
dHapidatcd public buildings the
, broken homes OF the peoples OF
France and Belgium. The scCuc a.
one Journeys through 1t inspires first
tears then rage. then despair. one
J realizes that nothing can be dcre
Z about a. one asks what Justice OF
CONFINED On PACE FINE