El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-28
NATIONS make
4 JUST PEACE
Germany Is Not Forced to
Give Up Any Territory
Really German.
Confined from page IL

races. No European territory viii be
taken from Germany 10 which her
claim IS valid for the profit OF any
OF the great powers who have com
5ined 10 conquer her. Alsace-Lor-
raine IS French again. but the French
moral claim 20 these provinces his
never been disputed save by Germany.
The Saar coal district, half Of which
was once French, has been erected
into an independent territory like
Luxembourg. simply 20 provide repa-
ration TO France for the destruction
or her own coal regions and the re-
turn Of the territory 70 Germany aft
er IS years is assured II the iuh BIZ
tants SO desire. Aside from these
changes Germany viii lose a tiny
region inhabited by Danes IN Schies-
Wig and most but not all Of the ter
ritory 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 Ger
many, although victorious. have de-
clined 60 follow even German pre-
cedents. Whatever else is 70 be said
Of territorial changes in Europe so
be argued that they are founded upon
injustice or a refusal TO recognize I
German rights
Germany Must Pay Well.
In the matter Of financial repara- I
tons Germany VIII have 10 pay as
much as she can OF the costs Of the l
war but the maximum sum that has
yet been aimed at is $4,000. 600. 000, I.
and hardly exceeds the conservative p
store the devastated areas Of France. ]
As q consequence OF the German. at ]
tack. French and British taxpayers /
viii still have enormous burdens 10 4
bear for many years TO come
No indemnity. such as Germany ]
ezacted from France in 1871. VIII be /
asked Of the nation which deliberately /
and wantonly brought all the destruc- I
ton OF the present war and carried j
fire and sword into northern France
and Belgium for the express. purpose
OF wrecking the industrial life OF this /
region and thus increasing that o.
Germany.
On the side OF disarming Germany.
much has been written into the treaty 4
but little effective has been done We
have fixed the army OF Germany at
100000, and we have taken away his
ships but we have provided no ma
chinery for compelling Germany 20
stay disarmed II she chooses to [
initiate the example OF Prussia after
Tilsit, and there is frank recognition
.
ment can have but temporary ef-
feet
Rhine to Be UnfOrtified.
As to the military barrier OF the
Rhine, the Paris conference has de-
eided that all fortifications along the
river shall be RACED, that the allied
armies shall occupy the left bank and
oridgeheads during a certain period Of
time contingent upon Germany's OBJ
servations OF her obligations under
the treaty OF peace. but q guaranteed
for the preservation OF this military
barrier must be found in the British
pledges 70 give military aid TO France
whenever Germany shall send troops
against it. Even this guarantee may
prove insufficient II the Unite
states fails 10 give a similar promise
u IS an idle thing and q dangerous
sions OF the Paris conference in terms
81 personal or national victory. Il IS
also an inaccurate thing.
The three great nations which have
fought Germany, assembled in con-
.erence, have naturally presented dif-
erent and at points conflicting views.
But in the end compromise has been
cached Mr. Wilson has recognized
he right Of France 10 some other
guarantee IN addition 70 that Of the
eague Of nations which Mr Wilson ,
las advocated. The British while by
he elimination OF the German fleet
occurring an insurance against a new
German menace have. by supporting
10Th American and French claims At c
-srious points. contributed 10 pre- f
erving the more essential contentious Z
4 each. e
Terms Are Compromise. L
II Is not true, as has been asserted o
'ver and over again that Mr.. Wilson o
las taken Europe by the throat and
it 20 lay aside its selfish
nd chauvinistic aims and accept 2
american idealism. Il is not true that S
Europe has forced Mr.. Wilson 10 s
every principle o. any es- c
entail principle which he advocated y
p America and came 10 Europe 20
hampton.
The terms which Germany s-il re-
GIVE are not American terms or
french terms o. British terms. They 7.
10 not represent personal triumph fori j.
ny one Of the big four" but they =
ontain substantial recognition OF the =
sEitimate claims Of each of the four y
n behalf Of his own country For q
hose who believe in the league Of =
atoms as the ultimate solution Of in !.
irrational relations. ,Lc treaty Of 7
eace must represent a loug forward \.
tep. To those who believe that IN a
be presence Of the Germans no scrap 4
Z paper, however sacred. an avail /,
Mess II has a military guarantee, the
-. . O. a.