Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-14
ECONOMIC VICTORY
IN PEACE TREATY
Commercial Subjugation Faces
Germany in Terms OF
Document
BROCKDORFF USES FlNESSE
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
stsfr Correspondent Of the Evening Public
Ledger with the Peace Delega-
tion in Europe


Copyright. 1919. by Public Ledger Co.
Paris, May 14.--The next few days
possibly will determine how seriously
Brockdorff Rantzau's protest against
the peace treaty will be taken. Brock
dorff Rantzau probably is going home,
and before his return German national
sentiment must have n chance to devel-
J. op. His preliminary protest saying the
conditions Of the treaty were such as no
nation could endure is interpreted here
as the first step in an effort to arouse
the German nation.
There are two purposes in this cam
paign, one to impress the Peace Con-
ference with the spirit of the German
people resisting thG~terms of peace, the
other to get the minds of the German
people off domestic issues and concent
trate them on the peace question. and
thus, possibly strengthen the Scheide-
mann government.
IF the issue works this way it Will
have an effect on the Fiume issue with
Italy, which doubtless is the sole thing
that kept alive the Orlando government
for several months.
Doubt of Signing Grows
Doubt of Germany signing the peace
treaty grows as the document is read
and studied. Germany has little to gam
by signing. If she signs she agrees 10
economic subjection for generation
1t may be regarded as the best policy 10
invite the Allies to come into Germany
and try to exact their own terms rather
than sign a document binding the Ger :
man nation to their acceptance.
The protest carefully avoids saying
that Germany will not sign the peace
treaty. In this respect ii is ike all
the speeches of Scheidcmann, Erzberger
and others, probably because there is
section in Germany that is strong foi
peace, and a direct threat not to sign
would be unpopular until the people
are educated to understand what bur
dens the signing of the peace wouc
fasten upon them. Moreover. Brock.
,lorff -Rantzau aims to negotiate. ant
the last thing he will do will be t(
refuse to sign when negotiations fai
A and the patience of the Allies is ex'
hausted.
Purpose Of German Diplomacy
The effort of German diplomacy vii
be to try to separate America from
the other powers with regard to th
economic conditions of the treaty, whicl
will be the real issue of the negotia
tions.
Also the Scheidemann government wi
doubtless take leaf from the Wilson
diplomacy and appeal to the radica
support especially in England. wher
the Labor party already has issued
manifesto condemning the treaty as un
just. Like President Wilson in tn
preliminary negotiations during tn
war, Brockworff Rantzau probably wi
avoid coming to definite issue by re
fusal to sign as long as possible, bu
will keep before the radicals of tn
world the assertion that this treaty wa
written largely by the big commercia
interests of the Allies world in thei
own favor. ........ p, &c.,.
Huge Commercial Victory
This peace may come within Presi
dent Wilson's description of "peac
! without victory" in military aspects
and largely in territorial aspects, bu
commercially it is a peace with vic
tory OF the uncompromlslng sort.
Economically, if Germany signs Il
treaty as it stands. Germany is sui
iect nation for thirty years to com,
In that ime it will be possible for til
Allies by occupation of part of Ger
many's territory to ALLEVIATE the supper
of the inhabitants from Germany an
add territorial conquests to the enor
nous commercial conquest written int
the treaty.
What the Allied program will be
the face of this German policy it
difficult to conceive. The last thir
the Allies want to do is to bring abo
bolshevism in Germany or create a sitl
alton there which will force miltal
occupation of that coun,ry upon them
Bugaboo Of Bolshevism
If Brockdorff- Rantzau succeeds will
in the next fortnight in making Ge