The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-03
THE FIRST DUTY-sHArrER GERMANY

One Of the encouraging reports that come from PARIS
is the announcement that the associated governments
actually fOTraatng peace terms be imposed upon
Germany and the other enemy nations These terms win
be put into effect is said. part Of the arrangement
for extending the amstce, which expires on the nth
instant.
The strong pressure Of sefnterest has thrust the
spective delegations forward with other questions such
the disposition of former German colonies Yet if the
peace council succeeds in framing portion Of the
terms and imposing them upon Germany during this
month"; it win be fairly prompt accomplishment The
acute questions those which have tendency create
dssenson among the allies can always be referred to
commissions when they become too hot to handle There
danger that the greater allies will fall out that
they win permit the small fry engage in any struggle
that may embroi the world The nations Of Europe
still nursing the wounds ofwar and not in any mood
to hostilities They share with all their. heart in
President Wilson's declaration that the world must be
made safe for democracy.
Now, the work Of making the world safe is intensely
practical What would it avail the world if its honorable
peoples formed themselves into league, only to be at
tackled again by reacheous nations? The peace Of the
world will lie, not in league among the law-abding
but in the actual manacng and Stacking of thewuudbe
disurbers and robbers Are the allied powers moving
steadily and rapidly forward in the process Of making
Germany impotent? Apparently not
The enemy line Of feasOningis making some Roadway
Enthusiastically among the allies There is hesitancy If
applying to Germany the rigorous merciless measures
that must later be applied if the peace Of the
world is to be preserved The allies know that the Ger.
nature is unchanged and the German ambition un
quenched The Huns still think they can reOganize and
dominate the world. They are taking careful notes Of
their mistakes and the mistakes of the allies in the pres
ent in order to do better in the conflict The
Hun spokesman, such adopts in casuistry Count
Bernsor throwing dust in the eyes of the allied
statesmen and to be in fair way of convincing
them thatthe best policy. after ALL will be one Of recon
Citation and acknowledgment Of Germanys right to or
ganize union of independent states to maintain al
army and navy to defend the frontiers and otherwise
exercise all the rights of IA sovereign state.
This reorganization Of Germany as one nation cannot
be permitted with safety to the world
Other nations have united in declarations and empires
without attacking the world. Germany does not know
how to do this Gemsny imperial constitution is inher
emily predatory 1t framed for the purpose of max
ing aggressive Germans are now about to meet
frame constitution, which they proclaim is to b,
republican" democratic" and even socialistic. Ye
there not any proposal from German source looking
the breakup of the old union of states which constituted
the menace to the world. The Germans going for
ward calmly and resolutey toward the reorganization
of mighty warke nation though hepeace conference
at Paris did not exist.
It is for the allied nations the trustees Of the world
liberty and safety to compel the Germans to dsunte the
states That the price which the Germans must pay fol-
their proved and ncOigbe propensity to make war OF
their neighbors Only by living in small and comparative
ly weak states among stronger neghbors can the Ger
mans be kept permanently at peace There must be
France greater and more pOpulous than any German
state There must be Poland capable of thrashing the
Germans if they provoke war;
Are the allies to forget the shatering of Germany il
their anxiety to prevent another from gaining advan
tage in the readjustment Of frontiers? If so they may
look for war peace as result of the Paris confer
ence.--Washngton Post