Evening star., 1919-05-11
If Germany Refuses to Sign.

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While improbable, it is possible that
the German delegates at Versailles
will refuse to sign the peace treaty,
that Germany will reject the terms as
unacceptable. What will happen in
that eventi The question is of the
first Importance, as it affects all the
countries in alliance against Germany.
Refusal to sign the peace terms
would be tantamount to a renewal of
the war by Germany. The armistice
would be automatically ended. The
allied armies now stationed along the
Rhine would at once resume hostile
operations. They are doubtless ready
for such an eventuality. Before them
stretches thin line of German troops,
numerically far inferior to the allies,
and poorly equipped for a campaign.
These could not stem the allied ad-
vance, which would probably within q
fortnight reach far beyond the Rhine
into the interior.
Meanwhile the allied naval forces
would have access to the seacoast of
Germany, for direct attack and for
the landing of troops. There are no
barriers against such an approach.
The mines have been removed and the
coast fortifcations have been rendered
ineffective. There is nothing to prevent
the complete paralysis Of northern
Germany by allied forces, military and
naval.
From the standpoint of the military
situation as it was left when the armis-
tice was signed, Germany is in no posi-
tion to resume the war, and her capacity
to renew hostiities has been iessened by
the execution of the terms Of the ar
mistice. Her armies have been largely
demobilized. Discipline has been low
cred. Internal struggles have cost
heavily and have greatly weakened the
prestige of the general staff. It IL
doubtful whether an effective force
could be assembled to stand agains.
the French forces alone.
Those Germans who urge refusal 10
sign the treaty are probably figuring
upon aid from Russia But could Rns-
sia render effective aidf Could Stch
aid, If rendered to the limit Of Bus
sian capacity, enable Germany to bold
back the advancing alliesi It is e1-
tremely doubtful. From the south
Germany could look for little If any
help. Hungary is demoralized and cut
of from Germany by Czechoslovakia
and Poland. German Austria is rem
dered practically impotent by the dis.
ruption Of the empire and the lo.s Of
Bohemia, Moravia and the Slavic states.
Renewal Of the war, despite the pres
ent outcries against the Injustice" Of
the proposed treaty, would be extreme
ly unpopular in Germany. The Ger
man people have had their fill Of fight
ing. They have been beaten in the
field and there is nothing for them in
q resumption of hostilities but further
suffering and loss. It may be doubted
whether half Of the Germans would re-
spond to a call to arms on the score
of the impossibility of accepting the
allied terms.
AL these conditions are perfectly
well known at Berlin. The Ebert gov
eminent doubtless knows how utterly
hopeless would be an attempt to start
the fight anew. Only two possibilities
would justify such a move: A deter
mination to perish rather than submit
to the humiliation Of the Paris treaty,
or q willingness to throw all central
, Europe into the throes of bolshevism
by raising the red standard and invit-
ing all the anarchistic elements to rally
round it for resistance to the last ditch
against the allied forces.
Germany now comes to the final test.
Is she composed Of the heroic stuff
that prefers to die rather than submit
TO defeat and punishment