South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-03
TWO WAYS TO
SAVE THE WAR.


But how then are we at Paris to
save the war? obviously, in two
ways. The cost Of the war must be
borne either by the Allies who de
Tended themselves or by Germany
who attached them. Germany ia
fighting for the war drew upon her
internal resources and can repudiate
her debts: England ard France and
/ italy were compelled to borrow of
America and cannot repudiate their
debts. Either the French and Brit
ish and Italian people will have 10
stagger. under the burden of this
debt-aEd. in the case of France, un-
, der the added burden incident to
the destruction by the Germans of
French industrial resions-or that
burden must nc lifted from Allied
, shoulders to German II the Ger
mans escape, if they can resume the
old game OF arming. if French and
/ British and italian taxpayers have to
shoulder il. they will be unable even
To arm themselves adequately for
self-defense. 1t is essential for
| Americans 10 realize that the ques-
( ticn Of reparation and restitution,
even of indemnity. is not punitive. it
/ is not a program of piunder Of Ger
many. 1t is merely an effort to save.
| primarily France, who has suffered
most. but England and Italy as we'll.
! from the crushing burden placed
upon them by the necessity of de-
tending themselves against Ger
many.
Above all, it is essential that Am
orleans should recognize that is not
/ in a spirit of plunGer. that it is not
i'm spirit of revenge. that the staes-
men of Paris are compiling a bill of
| damages against Germany. It is
/ purely and simply a question OF
whether Germany shall pay for what
she did, or succeed in running those
l'nations who were her commercial
rivals. both by systematically de-
stroying their industrial machinery
and by loading them with colossal
debts incurred in defending them
I selves against German assault. 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 a
very large degree the Germans viii
win the war # they make the peo-
| pie they attacked bear the great
| burden of It. and once more we must
remember that we are still at war
with Germany.
In the second place. we have got
| 10 restore the balance of power In
| Europe destroyed when Germany
| eliminated Russia as q nation and as
a force in the world, there wili be
| nothing left In Europe capable Of
| opposing eighty millions of Germans
| occupying the center OF the CONT
nent. united. capable OF indefinite
| effort, and having still open TO them
/ the temptation of world power; in
| fact having II open 10 them even
| more completely tnan il was in 1914,
when they took their great gamble.
And this can be done, this new
! force can he created. only in one
way If We shall create real, strong.
| national states in Poland. i'm Bohe-
| mia, in Rounanla. and out Of the
southern SlaVs. as wei as by com
pleting the unihcatiOn of the Greeks.
we shall haze added 10 the balanvcs
| against German aggression more
| than fifty millions OF people, divided
into four nations. but capable OF
very urgent development. capable OF
| OF becoming real national entities
| capable At no distant time OF de-
| Tending themselves and barring the
German pathway TO power.
GERMAN THEORY
OF TIE WAR.
II -.