New-York tribune., 1919-03-15
aris Paper Hits
Plan to Feed Foe
Before Reparation
Bitterly Criticises Lansiup,s
Statement That Germans
Must Have Food to Paw
for Harm Done in War;
e New York Triosn.
Special Cable .Ser,.;'

ork Tribuns
'oopsrisht. 1919. New York Tribune ,,.,
PARIS, March l4.-The entire NV.
features the Franco American man;fa.
tatlon at the international press dinn.,
but "Action Francaise" alone ,a,
comment, replying vigorously 70 A.
statements of Secretary of State Ian
sing, particularly the following:
"You may demand reparation.
much as you will, and insist as mna
as you like, but unless you provide q,
German people with raw materials com
mercial facilities and the means n ..u
the product of their work on fors;..
markets, unless you feed the worka,.
Germany can never pay even in part for
the harm she has done"
action Francaise" says Mr. Ians;nu
will yet regret having said this addin,.
I'VE will not discuss Mr.. LANSING.
tone. because we have the means q,
showing his compatriots and himss,s
that the error, if there is one. is NJ.
ours but his. Mr.. Lansing's error
arises from his mingling and confound-
ing at pleasure different thinrs-.bs
feeding of Germany and the payment
Of her debts
Should Have Yielded Security
Payment of the German debt falls Of
itself under various heads. There 10
the great delivery which, after Noyem-
ber II, should have been made by the
German Empire, or the German states
and towns collectively, as a first proof
of good will, expressed in specie, secu.
rites, materials and other stolen goods
independent of all questions of feeding
Germany has no need of food in order
as sign of repentance, to start the
balancing of her accounts with re-
spectacle number of billions in gold
or IN kind which would be very useful
to the Allies, especially the peoples Of
the devastated regions.
MI Lansing would try irf vain To
confound with this question of resti.
tuition or immediate payment anv al.
fusion to feeding. We must formally
peace conference by allies thus circum-
vented and deceived. But true or false
the allegations of German famine have
nothing whatever to do with the neces-
slty OF immediate payment on account
by the vanquished foe. The Boche pos
sesses and can give what he has. He
has only to will it, but the will is lack
ing. AS citizen and publicist we have
only to say to Mr.. Lansing that in order
to acquit this just debt Germans did not
need kilo of bread nor pot of lam
more in their cupboard.
An Artificial Relation
The eminent American statesman
has placed in artificial relation two
things which have nothing to do with
each other
Let US admit that we must later on
feed Germany. but we believe sha
should pay as soon as possible Other
wise it would be too easy for the
Boche, who is preparing to follow this
course Of action:
"First, not to pay what he can at
once, under pretext of the need to start
work IN order to be able to pay more;
second, to regain the strength which
will enable him to pay at least, pos
sibly nothing.
"Mr. Lansing will not be surprised
that we are utterly without admiration
for the statesmen who will have helped
this work of deception. Perhaps he
will also realize that he might have
reserved for some other subject some
of the superiority with which he de-
livered himself of ideas so lacking in
perspicacity"