South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-17

armies II Germany retained the con
scription system. But there was also
the hope that If Germany now tenn
porarily In chains. should be COM
PEELED to abandon the institution OF
conscription. she would not revert 10
IL after she had regaineo her ma
tional health.
All this leads back 10 a single
central truth. All that we may do
at Paris 20 Germany-justly, in view
OF her great sins against her neigh
bors nationally in view of her ulti-
mate potential strength. all will be
OF little avail if in the future 75,-
600. 600 of Germans shall choose TO
revert 10 the policies OF aggression
rather than adopt the principles and
Ideals which have become the basis
OF western civilization. To give
France as the outpost Of civilization.
security. we are building new from
tiers along the Rhine. To ensure
an opportunity for the development
of the recently enfranchised races
in middle and eastern Europe and IL
Asia Minor. we are constructing a
league OF nations which is IN the ma
ture of insurance. we have taken
Cermany's ships. and we can look
forward to a decade and perhs ps "A
quarter of a century in which our
insurance may hold good. Yet more
and more the truth is becoming ap-
parent in Paris and elsewhere. Ulti-
niately the fate of Germany and the
policies OF Germany Will be shaped
from within and not from without
So far We have drawn a barbed wire
line about Germany and followed a
course, logical and natural in treat
ing all Germans alike. because all
Germans share in responsi biiity for
recent events. Yet nothing is more
certain and more obvious than the
fact that by this very course VIC
have contributed 10 preserving and
increasing the essential unity OF
Germany.
For at least two centuries, the
policy of France was TO preserve the
division of Germany South Ger
many was As frequently in alliance
with the Bourbons as with the Haps-
burgs or HohenzOllerns, and between
north and south Germany there was
religious hostilities as well as tredi-
tional enemies, but in Paris we have
chosen 10 regard Germany as a
whole. and we have driven all parts
OF Germany into a unit which
scarcely existed in 1914 or even at
the moment Of the armistice in
1918
If We are TO continue this policy
we have TO contemplate for all time
a united Germany which, unless
Russia shall achieve rem egration,
will be the greatest single nation In
Europe. II the greatest single M
'ion in Europe shall follow imperial
istic and militaristic ideals we shall
kav. 10 defend our liber.ics in tha
future as in the past. the one hope
that remains Is that Germany by
force of circumstances NAV be Ter
suaded 10 abandon TIE ,ui.itariStic
idea. This is what IS back of Lloyd
Georges great experiment, aside
from his own political necessities at
home: and in a sense il is the first
reasoned effort TO deal with the Ger
man problem from a philosophical
rather than from military point of
view. Successful. or in the future a
great failure. the decision of the
conference at Paris with respect to
Germany. the decision which dooms
CONSUMPTION in the world is unmis
takably one of the great decisions,
at least as great as the league Of
nations. infinitely more important
than all the minor territorial
changes which are now driving
statesmen mad.
To Disarm Germany.
We have. in fact, decided TO dis
arm Germany with the full con-
seriousness that the next step is to
lay aside our own arms. Conscrip-
ton. which cost Europe not less
than 100000 of deaths on the
battle field in the last four and
half years, is definitely TO be aban-
doned, and it may be since the next
war. according 10 prophets, may be
in the air, airship by glasses, by me-
chanical devices. by tanks; and on
water by submarines we shall not
return TO the old order; and II may
be that with the departure of con-
scription, the habit OF war will dis
appear If we are to believe Foch,
the Germans will remain militaristic
nd find the way to keep their guns
and train their youths. but IL we are
to believe Lloyd George, we shall
preserve the world from anarchy
only by abolishing the period Of
servitude of all able-bodied men in
barracks. And last Of all. under the
new order. we may be able 10 pay
our debts.
Copyright, 1879