The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-01

has suffered most, but England and
Italy as well, from the crushing bur-
den placed upon them by the neces-
sity of defending themselves against
Germany.
Above all, it is essential that Amer
leans should recognize that 1t Is not
in a spirit of plumber, that 1t Is not
in a spirit of revenge, that the states
men of Paris are compiling bill OF
damages against Germany. 1t is pure
ly and simply a question of whether
Germany shall pay for what she did,
or succeed in running the nations VINO
were her commercial rivals, both by
systematically destroying their indus
trial machinery and by loading them
with colossal debts incurred in defend
ing themselves against German as
sault There is a too ready tendency
in American quarters, here at least. to
read into the purpose OF our allies
motives and reasons which are not
there. In q very large degree the
Germans will win the war II they
make the people they attacked bear
the great burden of it, and once more
we must remember that we are still
at war with Germany.
Must Restore Balance.
In the second place, we have got to
restore the balance of power In Eu-
rope, destroyed when Germany elimin-
ated Russia as nation and as force
! in the world. Unless we can replace
Russia by some other force Of equal
strength, there will be nothing left In
Europe capable of opposing eighty
millions of Germans occupying the
center of the continent, united, cap
able Of indefinite effort, and having
still open to them the temptation OF
world power, in fact having 1t open
to them even more completely than
1t was in 1914, when they took their
great gamble.
And this can be done. this new
force can be created. only In one
day. If we shall create real, strong,
! national states in Poland, In Bohemia,
in Roumania, and out of the Southern
Slavs, as well as by completing the
uniflcation of the Greeks, we shall
have added to the balance against
| German aggression more than fifty
millions of people, divided into four
nations, but capable of very urgent
development, capable OF becoming
real national entities, capable at nc
distant time Of defending themselves
and barring the Germany pathway tc
power.
The German theory In this wal
ought never to be forgotten. Ger
many undertook at one time to assat
western power in order to hold France
at ransom to pay for the war and tt
destroy Russia in the East, make her
self master Of the destinies of half {
score of minor races extending from
the gulf of Finland to the Black Sea
by creating states which were incap
able Of self maintenance by melting
these several races against each othel
the Germans sought to create a con
dition of chaos on their eastern ant
southern frontiers, to replace tina
great, solid barrier which was Rus
STA.
Races Strive Together.
Moreover, in a very large measure
the Germans accomplished this. l
you start at the Gulf of Finland toda,
and go south, along the old frontie
of Russia, you will travel through
regions in which half dozen race
are striving with each other to TAX
possession of some fragments of tel
ritory and creating permanent and BIT
ter jealosies. Incited by the Germans
the Ukranians, the Lithunians, ar
contesting with Poland the possession
Of the frontier regions between tn
two races, while Bolsheviks are Il
Wilma, Serbs and Roumanians are a
odds in Banat, Poles and Bohemian
in upper Silesia, Southern Slavs an
Italians in Dalmatia, Greeks and tia
ians in Epirus. In a word the Germa
war has destroyed order from tn
Baltic to the Black Sea, and from tn
Volga to the Isonzo, and while he ha
done this the German has enlarged hi
: own national area and finally con
: pleted the unidcation of the Germa
race.
If we create states like Poland, lik
Roumania, like Bohemia and lik
Jugo-Slavia, if we can give theI
frontiers which are defencible, If W