The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-02-17
NO CHANCE NOW
FOR BLACKMAIL.
On Part of Germany When
Peace Treaty Comes to
Be Signed.
NEW AR MISTICE VITAL
British Scheme Accepted by
French and America as
Best PROPOSAL,

(IlondOn Times-Phil. Ledger Cop. CABLE
Paris, Feb. 17.-The new armistice
conditions will, in effect settle the
most important of all the peace
questions and their acceptance by
the enemy will, beyond doubt, deprive
him of any opportunity Of taking
blackmail tactics when the peace
treaty comes to be signed.
The fresh conditions follow gen.
orally the lines suggested by Premier
Lloyd George since the beginning of
the discussion and it is wrong to sup
pose that, in this matter, the British
have acted as mediators between ex-
treme French and the extreme Amer
lean point of view. Both the Ameri-
cans and the French have been i'm
pressed by the arguments brought
forward in favor of all three tenden-
cies which We're placed in their pres
ence and all agreed that the British
scheme was not only less open to
criticism, but positively the best pro-
posal made.
The discussion has been extremely
fruitful and the result has shown the
extreme alarm of French opinion as
10 the American attitude of no force.
Another good point to remember IS
that the action of the British dele
French that while the British are ex-
tremely desirous of maintaining their
close friendship with the Americans,
they are imbued with a sense of
continental responsibilities and al
liances and thus are able to act be-
tween the old and the new worlds.
Agreed on Object Sought.
All were agreed upon, the aim to be
attained. There was ohiy natural
discussion upon the method and in
determining the method the voice of
those who have been nearest to the
danger and who have suffered the
most has naturally received the most
attention.
The big powers have decided to lay
down in the armistice what virtually
will be the foundations of peace with
Germany. The allies for the most
part have made up their minds as to
the size of the armies they will main
tain in peace and the allies also, by
the terms of the armistice. will indi-
cate roughly to Germany the extent
of the army and fleet she will be al
lowed to maintain until the league
of nations examines the general ques-
tion of disarmament in detail and as
a whole. And at the same time Ger
many Will be informed of measures
which will follow her acceptance of
those terms with a view to supply
ing her immediate needs in foodstuffs
and also of the steps which will be
taken to control the execution of the
armistice.
Apparently there were two distinct
stages in completing a definite re-
newal of the armistice which will last
until peace has been signed. First
of all, the enemy received a sort of
ultimatum calling upon him to carry
out, without delay, those clauses in
the existing armistice which he had
not observed. and to refrain at once
from hostilities against Poland. This
SUSPENSION of hostilities, according-to
news received Friday. already has
been effected. The existing armistice
Will be subject to denunciatiOn at p
few days notice; indeed. at almost a
few hours notice. and any sign of
bad grace or bad faith on the part
OF the enemy will be followed by n
second uitimatum. the nature Of
which the Germans could not very
well ignore.
Lay Foundation Stone.
The decisions just taken, in fact,
are more than a military measure;
they lay the foundation stone of the
allied peace policy, which the peace
conference itself so far has failed TO
do. and all the governments con-
cerned now have the duty 10 prepare
for the full consequences Of that pol
icy. Open resistance of Germany
must not be ANTICIPATED. II would be
perilous in the extreme, both from n
naval and military point of view.
and politically it would result in =
reaction in favor of the conservative
elements in Germany. who alone are
capable of directing any warlike en-
ternrise for the present.
The second stage will he reached
when the prolongation of the existing
armistice comes TO an end and tho
allies present to Germany their final
naval. military and economic armi-
stice terms. What those terms will
he has not yet been definitely de-
rided. hut general outline Of those
terms will he found in Yesterdays
dispatch. They are not designed. as
can he clearly seen nv the economic
clauses. to crush GERMANY. but really
10 carry out the full purnosa Of the
November convention. which was IN
make it imnossihle for Germany Ia
prevent n just world peace.