El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-12-20
VII Germany Risk Another Waterloo?

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cetnury before had done. seek to
fortify the new regime, not because
OF any fondness for France, but be-
Bourbon hands offered greater secur-
ity to them No such view dominated
allied councils at Parf5 or since. All
Of Germany was regarded as unit
all Germans we're treated as equally
responsible for the recent crises ana
governments waited upon German
confession OF CUNT TO clear the. way
for some resumption Of ordinary
human intercourse.
Peace Sessions Wrecked.
On this rock the Paris conference
wrecked, so far as its German policy
was concerned No one VIII pretend
that there was vast moral gulf be-
tween the so called liberals. who took
control Of Germany when the old rul-
ers fell and fled and these rulers
themselves All had consented TO the
German attack. all had shared some
thing OF the German aspirations for
world power and plumber. But on
the other hand. for the security OF
the world. the continued supremacy
in Germany Of the elements called 10
power by the revolution was far
more desirable than any return Of
the old system. whether or without
william IL
The last thing in TIE world the "Old
gang desired, perhaps desire even at
this moment, is to AXE control Their
return would have TO be predicted on
an ultimate national reaction against
the weakness and failure Of The pres
ent rulers To see the Ebert govern
ment utterly discredited, 20 see It
driven 20 make one sacrifice after
another until the cup OF national
humiliation overtloWed- this was, re-
mains, the junker policy. II could
only be tempted 70 act. when the low
water mark had been reached. Ma
poleon came home TOO soon. Junker-
dom could afford 20 wai- a little.
Now It seems TO me that no one
can mistake the fact that there has
been in Germany in the past year
exactly the same kind OF reaction
which led 70 the Napoleonic return
We are told over and over again by
those who write from Germany that
the kaiser has no following left.
There is not even a tinsel Napoleon
about him. But Il is no less clear
that the great figures Of the period
when Germany was winning the war,
HindenburE, LudeQdurLr and now
1Iackeusen are daily receiving new
evidences Of their appreciation in
public estimation. The very fact that
the weak and helpless German gov
eminent Of the hour refuses allied
demands. which it caunot resist. IS an
evidence Of its Interpretation OF con-
temporary facts On Germany At least
il Is afraid Of domestic ices, more
afraid than Of foreign master. who
control armies OF occupation
Napoleon Had Brfrer Chance.
On the military side, the case is
less impressive. DO not suppose
any mllllary man would 1or a
moment count the Germans as capable
Of making the fight Napoleon made
In his last phase. When the great
emperor returned from EIba be found
bis own son free OF foreign troops.
and he found an army ia being.
Actually the emperor took 70 Water
loo an army better equipped than
his campaign at the frontier and his
decisive defeat took. place almost
within sight OF Brussels. that is rela-
lively remote from French territory.
Nothing Of the sort is now conceiva-
bic. The first sign Of an actual Ger
man reaction would carry the French
into Frankfort. Mannheim Baden
would be occupied almost within
Few hours In the presence Of French
and British heavy artillery and air
planes the Germans could offer no
counter preparation. German rail-
ways, practically IN a state Of
paralysis in the closing hours OF the
by the surrender Of vast numbers Of
engines and cars 70 the French and
the Belgians- Finally. and this cir
cumstance is capital. the blockade
would be Reconstructed without the
slightest delay and the old terrible
conditions Of the war briefly restored.
IN sum, as q military proposition It
seems to me that any successful Ger
man reaction would be impossible.
But this is not 70 say that such a
reaction may not take place. It Is
plain that the present regime cannot
last long now The tide has set
against IL Wisely or unwisely, the
allies have been unable TO adopt a
policy which might have made the
survival OF the present regime posi-
BILE II the present regime in Ger
many falls. as seems almost certain
one OF two things must happen. either
the "old gang viii come back or
Germany viii sink into anarchy and
chaos. The latter possibility seems
less likely. But If the cold gang"
comes back, It can only conduct itself
in one way II IS as Incapable OF
learning as were the Bourb0us OF a
gET ITl7 F1HT