Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-11
GERMAN ATTITUDE
DUE TO WEAKNESS
Tone Toward Allies Demands
Not War-ReneWaI Exhibit,
Mr.. Simonds Says.
BY FRANK H. sIMONDs.

Despite a certain measure of appre-
hension excited in Paris and London
over the manifest stiffening of the at
titude and tone of the German gov
eminent. there seems little reason to
believe that the German is contem-
plating a new appeal to arms or an
open resistance to allied demands. In
point of fact, it is the weakness, not
the strength, of the German govern
ment which drives it to it's present
course.
The Paris conference. in making new
demands upon the Germans, notably
sinking of@tisy German warships in
Scapa Flows has adopted d policy
which If logical and natural from one
point of view is somewhat dubious
from another. After all, it must be
worth something to the world to pre-
vent the fall Of the. government now
N control OF GerIfhn5: since its fall
will unquestionahfy contribute to q
reaction toward the .old gang"
Napolecn's Overthrow Recalled.
When Europe overthrow Napoleon it
deliberately replaced the emperor by a
Bourbon king, but in order to maintain
that sovereign and thus to guard
against any new Napoleonic or reyolu-
tionary outbreak, it made many con-
cessions to the French nation, both in
the matter of the terms of peace. and
in other only less important circum-
stances.
1t was not that there was in 1915
any less dislike for France among her
conquerors than there N now for Ger
many among the nations which have
defeated her. But it was well recog-
niZed by the statesmen of the earlier
period that Bourbon government
promised for Europe and for their
countries greater security and infinite
~ less peril of attack than any other
that was conceivable.
Difficulties in German Situation,
AS to Germany since November,
1918, the allied nations have been un-
able to adopt policy which included
recognition that one faction was
more desirable than another The res
suit has been that the republican gov
eminent, however illuSory it's repub-
licanism from certain standpoints,e
has been again and again subjected
to demands bound to arouse German
opposition and thus to undermine the
government itself.
What has now happened is that the
Ebert government, faced by the
mounting unrest of the junker ele-
ments, confronted by manifest drift
IN certain quarters. at least, toward
the old regime, has had to choose be-
tween inviting domestic revolt by
surrender to the latest allied demands
and inviting new allied demands and
possibly another invasion by refusing
to comply with Paris directions
Yielding Regarded Inevitable.
In the end the Germans must
yield. Despite the alarms and rumors
the Germans are in no position to be-
gin a new war and totally unlikely to
attempt renewal of hostilities with
an enemy whose guns cover Frank
fort and whose armies occupy
Cologne, Coblenz and Mayencc. But
at the same time it is clear that at
the moment the present government
is more afraid of Germans than of
foreign foes, and is taking the great
risk of refusing allied demands
rather than run the risk, greater for
them. of imm rebate collape
One difficulty all along has been the
rather foolish idea on the part of the
foes of Germany that it was impossi-
BILE to treat Germany as anything but
an immediate foe, until such time as
the German people should consent to
confess that they had been respon-
sible for the war. guilty of untold
crimes and were now ashamed and
penitent.
Obviously no such state of mind can
ever be expected and to await such a |
confession before resuming any sort
of relations with Germany is merest /
folly. Certainly the German mind re- |
mains a sealed book to the outside |
world. Assuredly the world will do !
well to regard with suspicion the |
future course of Il country recently |
capable of things which remain mex. |
plicable, but it is not less necessary |
to recognize that Germany exists |
will exist and cannot be ignored
Republics Leaders Less Dangerous.
Of the two elements in Germany.
the present republican leaders and the |
old junker crowd, the former is beyond
al question less dangerous, conceding
that its repub4icanism is a rather thin
veneer and its view of the causes of |
the war and the conduct of Germany is
miles removed from our own. To aid
the junkers to regain control by con-
destroying the small credit |
which the present government possesses
s to play the junker game rather than
that of the western nations.
German refusal now may be in some
small degree due to the course of the
United States Senate in refusing to |
ratify the peace treaty, but it is far
more the result of the Night in which
the German government finds itself at i
home. 1t has no friends, no admirers,
Il could only endure it it were able at
CONTINUED en- Fourth Page.)