The sun., 1919-08-30
NOX DEMANDS THAT IT, S. RENOJNCE ITS TREATY INDEMNITY RIGHTS

turn cside from so imposing and grateful
a vision in order to grace for generations
conqueror's triumph?
NapoIeop's Failure Frances Lesson
why have we invited this visioni
Was there none at all of that much
Wanted forward looking at the peace
table? The wise, tho obviously wise
course required not months OF inventing
and piling up penalties. but few hours
1 devoted to a plan that should rid Ger
1 many OF the Hohenzollerns, that should
provide for her characterization, that
should Impose a lesson bearing indem-
nifty, and that should then bind with
rivets OF steel, because rivets of friend
ship, the German people of western Eu-
rope. to France. who cannot hope to keep
Germany under her feet
! Napoleon tried to conquer a people
and failed-this should be Frances les
SON The only possible wise course for
| france, her only permanent safety, is
closest friendship with Germany. The
restoration of Alsace-Lorraine. the pay
ment Of suitable indemnity and then
forgetfulness of the past, hard as that
might prove-this should have sufflced.
1t may seem I am unsympathetic, I'M
mindful end forgetful of wrongs and in
1uries, unmoved by suffering and grief.
l am none of these. I am trying to
! point out how France herself might
escape further and more overwhelming
wrong. suffering and grief. For as GER
tain as the sun rises. II we follow the
| road In which this treaty sets our feet,
France and ourselves shall meet those
on the way.
The United States becomes the owner
In fec of a tenant In common of Faro
pean territory, and trustee as to other
territory.
For this territory SO coded nobody
pays Germany anything, nor is any
credit allowed Germany for 1t on her
reparaton account to which I shall
shortly refer. However. all cessionary
Powers, except France and the League
of Nations as to the Saar Basin, assume
that portion OF the imperial and state
debt attaching to the ceded area-fixed,
stated roughly, upon the basis of the
lpre-war revenue OF the area to the pre-
war total imperial and state revenue
respectively.
"Territorially Germany has been
closed out in all the world without a
penny's compensation. Moreover, she
loses the efforts of a generation to pro-
vide an outlet for her rapidly increasing
surplus population which now must and
will find expanding room elsewhere. To
this situation is added a restriction of
|
have taken care of part of this ex-
pansion.
There can of course be no question as
to the propriety OF compelling Germany
to disgorge the loot which she seized and
which she still has. nor in requiring her
to replace that which she seized and has
since consumed or otherwise used or de-
stroyed. No matter what this may mean
to Germany, no matter how II may leave
her, this must be done. The thief must
not be heard to plead necessity for the
article he stole, nor inconvenience from
restoring It. This is the most elemental
justice and the wholesomest morality
Thus far we move on solid ground.
But when we get away from and &c
beyond this q behooves us to proceed
with care lest We go beyond the bounds
Of wise craftsmanship. and in the homely
adage, kill the goose that we expect &c
lay the golden eggs.
But the treaty edges in on the per-
fectly proper theory of restitution. by q
theory designated as replacement, which
places Germany under rather startling
obligations. She is first made to 'recog'
nize the-right of the allied and associ-
ated Powers to the replacement ton fol
ton (gross tonnage) and class for elias:
| of all merchant ships and fishing boats
{ lost or damaged owing to the war; she
} then acknowledges that the tonnage OF
German shipping at present In existence
, is much less than that lost by the allied
!. and associated Powers In CONSEQUENCE
of the German aggression and agree:
that the right thus recognized will be
tenforced on German ships ana boats un.
, der the following conditions'-Germany
cedes to the allied and associated Power:
on behalf OF herself and of all other par
! ties interested all German merchant
ships which are of 1 500 tons gross anC
upward. Included in these will doubt
, less be the thirty-two auxiliary cruiser:
and feet auxiliary (named In another
part OF the treaty. which are to be dis
armed and treated as merchant ships
: In addition to the foregoing Germany
further cedes one-half recKoned in ton
; mage of the ships which are between
: 900 tons and 1900 tons gross. one
quarter reckoned in tonnage of the steam
trawlers and one-quarter reckoned II
tonnage of the other fishing boats. Al
the foregoing must be delivered TO thu
Reparation Commission within tive
months OF the coming into force Of thu
present treaty.
, Her Ships Practically barred.
: Thus we take practically all of Ger
! many's means OF conducting commerce
through her own vessels with oversea
! countries of whom we are the furthes
, away and of which we shall stand mos
in need. for It is an open secret that be
, fore the war the German shipping wa
: the peer at least Of any shipping In tn
world.
But the treaty goes further than thi
and compels Germany to lay down in he
own shipyards a maximum of 10000
tons OF shipping for each of the next NV
years approximately half. am told, o
: her shipbuilding capacity, and our rep
: resentatives, the Reparation Commits
a sion, determine the spec fications. condi
: lions OF building. price TO be paid-b
!, giving credit against the reparation bill
the commission will make up-and al
nther nneatinns rAlatinR to the account