The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-20
The DEBT WILL BE PAID.

"Will Germany sign?" This question is universally
asked The answer must be given within few days The
allies will not give the enemy much latitude for discus
sion of the peace terms The Huns will do their best to
have the terms mtgatcd Their leading spokesman Herr
Ebert speaking as president of TIE empire whatever that
monsrosy may be- refers to the Juror Teutoncus that
may be expected to sweep the country when the peace
terms fully understood But he also pleads with the
allies not to compel Germany to sign the treaty, which
would be "a lie born of desperation" He reminds of
President Wilson's famous peace without victory" adj
dress and asks what has become of the fourteen points
If Germany should reject the treaty and tell the allies
to do their the result would be another treaty.
what later, and a great dead rigorous. Germany
cannot expect to escape punishment by befuddng the
diplomatic processes by which nations make treaties In
the end there will be peace treaty signed by surviving
Germans and will carry into effect the will of the free
nations The Huns now in control do they choose
They increase the difficulties and suerngs of Ger
mans, they make the best of bad bargain and be-
gin the work of expation and reparaon without delay
The most sensible is to sign the treaty
In quarters fears expressed that the allies
would find it difficult to take control of Germany in
the treaty should be rejected There apprehensions
of boshevism Spartacism refusal of the allied armies
to move, and so on These apprehensions not well
founded The truth is that in many respects the allies
would be better off if the Germans should refuse to sign
The free nations must keep their grip Germany for the
next rs years. in any event They cannot leave the full
flment of the treaty to German good faith for there is
such thing. The ndemntes upon which the injured
nations depend must be collected by the reparaton COM
mission and this commission be backed by force If
it is not so supported the Huns will surely repudate
their obligations and defy the commission.
Seeing that the allies must keep their grip Germany,
it is obvious that strong grip would be effective
than weak There is now element of commisera-
ton in the allied countries which is manifested in such
mschevous statements that emanatng from the wo-
mems international meeting in Switzerland. This mis-
taken pity for the enemy, which closely resembles the
maudn sympathy sometimes shown by prevented spnsers
for atrocous murderer wuod entirely disappear if the
Huns should refuse to sign the treaty and try do
harm
No earthly harm will the Germans from terrible
Of retribuon They have drawn down upon them
selves just punishment and neither words acts will
them of escape from their period of
bondage to an outraged world They themselves forged
the letters that to go around their wrists and ankles
They themselves, when they lighted the fires and bombs
France and Belgium, caused the confagraon of wealth
which must be repaid by their sweat for years
and years. flash of knife may delight the assassin
for single iiendsh moment, but that ecstacy must be
followed by payment of the debt to and nature either
by death long Imprisonment The Hun reveed in his
debauch of lust waste, crime and assassination of the in
nocent. Now he must begin the work that will restore
the equilibrium
Hundreds of thousands of Germans will try to dodge
this debt They already arranging to leave Germany
and to America to escape the taxes that will burden
the shoulders of every individual in Germany 1t is the
duty of the United States to put up Hunproof barbed
wire ENHANCEMENT at every port and to depor to Ger
many every stray Hun who manages creep through dur
ing the next rs years for such time the reparaton
commission may have it's hand on Germanys throat Other
countries keep the Huns from their ports Other
wise the abe-boded Germans, those who in many cases
individually guilty of the outrage that Germany must
pay for, will throw the whole burden upon those remain
ing in Germany, thus prolonging the period of payment
and making the full repayment doubtful, They
not be tolerated.-W Washington Post.