New Britain herald., 1919-05-23
Death Rate Will Jump.

Efdf HfllliohS or persons in Germany. This catastrophe would not be long tS coming about seeing that the health of the population has been broken during the war by the block ade and during the armistico by the aggravation of the blockade of fam inc. No help however Important or over how long a period it might be distributed would prevent these deaths en masse. Peace would inn pose on Germany numberless human sacrifices that this war of four years and a half did not demand of her pride G,750,000 killed, nearly 1,00O, 0e9 dead victims of the blockade)
 Treaty a Death Sentence.
 We do not know, and indeed we doubt, whether the delegates of the allied and associated powers realize the inevitable consequences which will take place in Germany. An in dsastrial state very thickly populated, closely bound up with the economic system of the world, and reduced to the obligation to import enormous quantities of raw material and food stuffs, suddenly finds herself pushed back In the phase of her development which would correspond to her eco- homie conditions and the numbers or her population as they were half century ago. Those who will sign Shis treaty will sign the death sen- tence of many millions of German men. women and children.
 1T thought 1t my duty before enter ing upon a discussion of other details of the treaty to bring to the knowl- edge of the Allied and associated del- egatons this summary expose of the Cf nn
 T have at the disposal of your ex- cellency statistical proofs of the above statements.
 IT have the honor, etc
 (signed)
 "BROCKDORFF-R RAINFALL"
 Allies Make Reply.
 The reply as approved by the coun- cil of three principals on May 22 also h was made public. It reads as follows! V ''The Allied and associated powers have received and given careful at tention to the report of the commits sion appointed by the German govern ment to examine the economic eondi- tiens of the treaty of peace.
 This report appears to them to contain very inadequate presenta- ton of the facts of the case, to be marked in parts with great exagger ation and to ignore fundamental con- alterations arising out of the incident and the results of the war, which eN- plained justly the terms that it is sought to impose.
 Statements Are Discrcdited.
 s''The German note opens with the statement that the industrial re- sources of Germany were inadequate before the war for the nourlshment of < population of 67,00o,900, and 1t argues as though this were the total for which with diminished resources, she will still be called upon te pro vide.
 This is not the case. The total population of Germany would be re- duced by about 5000, ,000 persons in the non German territories which 1t is propesed to transfer. It is the need of this smaller aggregation that we are called upon to consider
 Smaller Tonnage is Left.
 'Complaint is made In the German note that Germany is required to surrender her merchant tonnage, eX- isting or in course Of construction and that a, prior claim Ia made upon &ch building for limited term of wears. No mention, however, is made of the fact that a cOIElueItDe pO4 tlcil of the smaller tonnage of Germany is left to her untmpaired; and it seems to have entirely escaped the notice of her spokesman that sacrifice of her larger shipping is the inevitable and necessary penalty imposed upon her for the ruthless campaign, which In Adafiance of all laws and precedent she waged during the last two years of inc war upon the mercantile shipping of the world.
 Germans Themselves to Blanc.
 "As q partial offset against the ? 12% millions tons of shipping sunk 1t Is proposed to transfer 100000 tons ,of German shippings. In other words the shipping which it Is proposed to take from Germany constitutes less than one third of that which was permanently wantonly destroyed. The universal shortage of merchant ship ping is the result not of the terms of Deace but of the action of Germany, and no surprise can reasonably be felt If she is called upon to bear a share .l-and it Is very moderate share-of a loss for which her own criminal deeds have been responsible.
 Can Get Products As Before.
 Great stress is laid on the proposal that on the eastern side Germany shall be deprived of the regions sDe- cially devoted to the production Of wheat and potatoes This is true. But t1e note fails altogether to observe that there is nothing in the peace treaty to prevent either the cOn- tnued production of those commod:- ties in the areas in question or their importation into Germany. On the contrary the free admission of these nroducts of the eastern districts is provided for during a period of tn h~eo raors Moreover it is fortunate for