The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-14
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age to him for a century, He wrote
all his urposes into the treaties OF
Brest- Litovsk n Bucharest, where
they remain a matter OF record. TINS
was what he undertook to do when he
felt himself a victor only II days less
than II months ago,
But now, the war lost, he appeals
before the world in the name OF inter
national justice that none OF his ter
ritory, whatever the desires of the pop
ulation may be, should be aiken IRON
him. He characterizes the French de-
sire for French Alsace- Lorraine as
wicked Imperialism. He charactertZes
French and Belgian demands tina ne
pay for wanton destruction as a proof
OF the desire to destroy Germany. He
meets every just demand for r~eparation
and restoration by II new accusation,
appealing with ever-growing vtgor to
precisely those principles which he not
only rejected, but spat upon in his
day Of power.
The thing goes very deep. The Ger
man meant to annex belgium because
he wanted It, despite the unanimous
wish of the Belgian people, But today,
when the Poles Of Silesla and of Posen
ask to be reunited to Poland, he In
Vokes, falsely, precisely the same prin-
ciples which were invoked justly in
the case of Belgium.
And when II Is demanded that he pay
for the wrecked industrial regions of
France, he appeols to the same prin-
Ciples cited by his enemies when he
demanded, not that they should pay for
devastation, since they caused none, but
for his expense in the var OF conquest
which he had inflicted upon the world
in his pursuit Of universal domination.
And while in Paris the allies are seek
ing to achieve just peace and construct
a real league Of nations, having natur-
ally and inevitably to examine con-
flicting claims and weigh and deal with
national aspirations, some just and
some unreasonable, the German Is
steadily building up for himself this
new policy and this new character. He
is preparing to use every possible dis
guise of idealism and Of justice to en-
able himself to win the war he once lost
by arms.
The danger OF this new German cam
paign can hardly be exaggerated. 1t Is
gaining Roadway in many places. 1t Is
finding converts in many American
quarters. 1t bids fair to capture inter
national socialism as represented at
| Berne, and international finances rep
resented everywhere. 1t VIII mean, II
he succeeds, that we shall have lost
the war and Germany will emerge the
only victor, with all Of Russia as her
first immediate prey and all OF her
eastern ambitions revitaliZed.
If there were anywhere the smallest
sign that there had been real revolution
in Germany, n genuine awakening OF ma
tional conscience, honest rejection OF
old ideals, it would be different. But
the fact is patent. The men who ruled
Germany at Weimar are exactly the
men who for four years and a half In
Berlin accepted, indorsed and promul-
gated policies which are responsible
for all the horrors Of the recent war.
The peril of Bolshevism in Germany
Is over. Perhaps we all exaggerated 1t;
but the peril Of Germany herself has
been restored. If Germany escapes from
her terrible destruction, she wins the
war. If France and Britain are saddled
with these costs, in addition to the costs
Of defending themselves, neither can
stand against the Germans again. But
only thus can Germany escape. II she
| succeeds by her new campaign in en-
trapping American public leadership,
her triumph will be completed and, at
least in Paris. the danger seems real
and close at hand At all events, 1t IS
time that the fact was clearly perceived
in America that Germany has totally
changed her situation, has executed Il
transformation which may yet have Tor
the conference at Paris something OF
the same surprise. Napoleon's return
from Elba had for The congress Of VI
emma a century ago,