Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-13
OUR INTEREST IN GERMANY.

During the war paramount purpose
was to smash the German military power to
smthereens in the quickest possible time with
the smallest sacrifice OF men and money. Our
own safety required the weakening of Ger
many in every way to the point that resistance
would be hopeless
Now that the war is over, what is Our in
terest in Germany? 1t is to keep Germany
down or to help the country get on its feet?
Palpably response prompted by sentiment
or vindictiveness might be different from that
dictated by enlightened slef-nterest The dis
cussion of this situation from British source
brings out some very pertinent points. I'm
palatabe as it may be, are reminded be-
cause Of the indemnities and reparation to be
received, the allies are now interested in Ger
many as business concern-not as beaten,
disorganized and ill-found nation-and if they
are to draw from that business the dividends
they require and demand, then not only will
it have to be superbly organized, but it will
demand the unremitting energy of its workpeo-
pie and the ungrudgng economic assistance
of the would-be receivers of dividends.
So we have to face the fact that if we are
to receive what is due from Germany, we
must first help it become again great indus
trial nation. for apart from trihing total of
gold and foreign securities, payments will have
to be in kind Therefore, Germany must man
ufacture and ship its goods. 1t must also find
buyers, otherwise it cannot pay. 1t follows
that the acceptance of such payments forces
the allies to trade with it, which will involve
admitting German products INTO our markets
Even this, we must remember, will be useless
unless we,. the allied peoples, despite resolu-
tons to the contrary, buy freely the things
that are made in Germany" If we do not
do this, or if we render it impossible for Ger
many to compete with us in the worlds mar
.kets-then we must sacrifice Germany's OBJ
legations to US.
Sanity further tells US that no people will
continue to work and strive without reward or
hope, and it follows that Germany mus. ::
permitted to regain industrial organization
adequate to produce a surplus of commodities
large enough to meet indemnity instruments,
"but also to provide its own people with suf-
hcient present and future comfort to induce
and enable them to put forth their maximum
effort"
1t may be urged that the interest of the
United States in Germany is not as vital as
that of other countries for the reason that
comparatively little OF the reparation money
is to be paid to us. In truth it is six on one
and half dozen OF the other, because the coun-
tries to be reimbursed by Germany are indebt-
ed to us for loans advanced and their ability to
meet the interest and pay off the principal
will depend in great part on what they get
from Germany.
colossal war debt has been piled up in
all the belligerent countries, for which Ger
many must be held responsible. and the only
way the burden can be ghtened is to make
Germany pack the load. Furthermore, the
only way Germany can possibly pay up is by
increasing its capacity to produce and thus
producing far and beyond its own needs. Our
interest is in a quick reconstruction of Ger
many just as it is i'll the reconstruction of all
the other weakened countries