The Republican journal., 1919-02-27

would seem to be practical to settle this
war before tackling the job of preventing
wars which may be threatened in the
more or less remote future. We say
this war because it has ragged about four
years, and although fighting has ceased,
Germany tells the world that she is not
defeated. We think the whole of the
United States desired that Germany
should have been told, at least within
month from the signing of the armlstice,
Just what she must do and should have
been compelled to do it without any
more buster, brag or lying. Germany is
not juvenile offender She has been
Hun for centuries and Hun she intends
to remain for centuries to come Mercy
to Germany will prove to be a crime
against every weak nation near her Dor
ders and sooner or later crime against
the world. She is treacherous, vicious
and unrepentant. The Germans are pro-
ceeding as covertly, calmly and resolute-
Iy in laying the foundation for future
aggressions, as though there were no So
called peace conferences going on in
France The delay in dealing with them
has given them both courage and hope.
The disagreements between the Allied
representatives while formulating the
league of nations has even evoked threats
from some of the hot headed German
leaders.
To the last mark Germany should be
made to pay for her plundering, her wan
ton devastation and her other crimes,
even if she is stripped to the skin, and
the sooner the bills are presented and
payments are made thereon, the better it
will be for the lasting peace of the
world. If league of nations is to en-
force peace, certainly the time to make a
successful start has now arrived Be-
fore the Allied representatives spent any
time discussing who should have man
datory power over the Caroline islands,
the Marshall islands, Turkey or any other
territory or people, they should have
considered the suffering, devastation and
industrial paralysis which Germany has
imposed upon valiant little Belgium which
had been guilty Of not single aggression
peaceful and Industrious The Germans
destroyed $4,000 Of her dwellings. She
had 1900 miles of railroad. Germany de-
stroyed more than one-fourth of the
trackage. She had 2614 locomotives and
Germany took So per cent of these. Out
of 1892 passenger cars only $50 were
left More than seven Fights of her
freight cars were stolen. To rebuild her
bridges 100, 900, 900 tons of steel will be
required. Much of the machinery in
Belgian factories was stolen and some of
it is now set up in Germany. Millions |
of money were looted from Belgium |
banks, and besides all this is the barbar-
ity practiced by the Huns of which we
know something but more is yet to shock .
civilization when the whole story is told. !
Belgium today lies PROSTATE and justice
demands that as money can restore that |
little nation, Germany should pay and
that the first installment of her penalty
should have been demanded and paid and
Belgium should now be using t. Justice
should also be given to France and to
Italy These countries have all lost a
larger percentage Of men than have Eng
land and the United States. Their terri
tories have been invaded and immense
destruction of property and innocent nom
combatant life has been wantonly and
brutally destroyed.
Now and in the immediate future the |
duty is, not to deal with remote possible .
tiles, but with the situation as it is today. !
We should state peace terms to Germany
and enforce them. We are not protest /
ing against a league of nations. We not |
only believe that league should be
formed but that it should be endowed /
with vital force beyond that which the /
present proposed ''secretariat" and coun-
Gil chamber can possibly have. We also
believe that this war should have been !
terminated by clear cut, iron clad peace !
treaty without any loss of time When |
this had been done the methods and pro-
cedure whereby future wars should be
prevented might well have been con-
sldered.