The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-23

TIE RICHMOND PAIL
these changes, Germany will lose
small region inhabited by Danes IN
Schleswig and most, but not all. OF
the territory which Prussia stole from
Poland in the successive partitions.
In all Of her wars Prussia has taken
territory inhabited by people who did
not wish to be Prussian. In this new
peace the enemies OF Germany, al
though victorious, have declined to
follow even German precedents. What
ever else is to be said of territorial
changes In Europe, SO far as they af-
feet Germany 1t can not be argued
that they are founded on injustice or
a refusal to recognize German rights.
In the matter of financial reparations
Germany will have to pay as much as
she can Of the costs of the war, but
the maximum sum that has been aim
ed at is 100000 900, and hardly ex
ceeds the conservative estimate of
what it would cost to restore the de-
vastated areas of France. AS a con-
sequence of the German attack, French
and British taxpayers will have enor.
nous burdens to bear for many years
to come. No indemnity, such as Ger
many exacted from France in 1871,
will be asked of the nation which de-
liberately and wantonly brought all the
destruction Of the present war and
carried fire and sword into northern
France and Belgium for the express
purpose of wrecking the industrial life
of this region and thus increasing that
of Germany.
Other Treaty Provisions
| On the side of disarming Germany,
| much has been written into the treaty
but little effective has been done. We
have fixed the army of Germany at
100000 and we have taken away her
ships, but we have provided no ma
chinery for compelling Germany to
stay disarmed if she chooses to initiate
the example of Prussia after Tilsit,
and there is frank recognition that all
efforts to limit German armament can
have only temporary effect.
AS to the military barrier of the
Rhine, the Paris conference has de-
cided that all Notifications along the
river shall be raZed, that the allied
armies shall occupy the left bank and
| bridgeheads during certain period OF
! time contingent on Germany's observ-
alton of her obligation under the treaty
of peace, but guaranty for the pre-
servation of this military barrier must
| be found in the British pledges to give
military aid to France whenever Ger
many shall send troops against it.
Even this guaranty may prove INSULT
cient if the United States fails to give
similar promise.
| 1t is an idle thing and a dangerous
thing to attempt to interpret the de-
cisions of the Paris conference in
i terms of personal or national victory
, 1t is also an inaccurate thing. The
three great nations who have fought
/ Germany, assembled in conference,
have naturally presented different and
at points conflicting views. But in the
end compromise has been reached. Mr..
Wilson has recognized the right OF
France to some other guaranty in adj
dition to that Of the league of nations,
which Mr.. Wilson has advocated. The
British, while, by the elimination Of
the German feet obtaining an insur-
ance against a new German menace.
have, by supporting both American and
French claims at various points, con-
| ITlDuueQ 10 pT0ScINlu6 lIc A1loiC Co
sential contentious of each.
Why Pact Will Satisfy
| It is not true as has been asserted
over and over again, that Mr.. Wilson
has taken Europe by the throat and
compelled it to lay aside its selfish,
it's chauvinistic aims and accept Amer
! lean idealism. 1t is not true that Eu-
rope has forced Mr.. Wilson to compro-
mise every principle or any essential
| principle which he advocated in Ameri-
ca and came to Europe to champion.
The terms which Germany will receive
are not American terms or French
terms or British terms. They do not
represent personal triumph for any
one of the Big Four, but they contain
substantial recognition of the legl,l-
mate claims of each of the four on be-
half of his own country. For those
who believe in the league OF nations
as the ultimate solution of lnterna-
tional relations, the treaty of peace
must represent long forward step.
To those who believe that in the pres
ence of the German no scrap OF paper,
however sacred can avail unless 1t has
a military guaranty, the commitment
of the British prime minister and the
conditional pledge Of American presl-
dent will carry corresponding reassur-
ances. The treaty which the Germans
will be asked to sign is not treaty
of violence, it creates no new Alsace-
Lorraine. 1t recognized the just rights
of several peoples hitherto enslaved
by the Germans, but it deprives Ger
many of no German population per-
manently. 1t requires only part pay
ment for the material injuries Ger
many has done and it leaves Germany
free to resume her own life and her
true pathway of greatness If she
chooses.
The true measure of the justice and
moderation of the peace terms is
contrast with peace imposed on Rus
STA at Brest- Litovsk and on ROumanla