The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-05-23

ing that the health of the population has
been broken down during the war by the
blockade, and during the armistice by
the aggravation of the blockade famine.
No help, however important or how
ever long period it might be distrib
nted would precent these deaths en-
masse. Peace would impose on Ger
many numberless human sacrifices that
this war of four years and a half did
not demand of her pride (l,750,000 killed
nearly one million dead, victims of the
blockade)
1--WE do not know, and indeed, we
doubt, whether the delegates of the al
lied and associated powers realize the
inevitable consquencea which will take
place in Germany. An industrial state
very thickly populated, closely bound up
with the economic system Of the world
and reduced to the obligation to import
enormous quantities of raw meterial and
foodstuffs suddenly finds herself pushed
back in the phase of her development
which would correspond to her economic
conditions and the numbers of her pop
ulation as they were half century ago
Those who viii sign this treaty will
sign the death sentence of many millions
of German men, women and children.
81 thought it my duty, before enter
ing upon discussion Of other details
of the treaty TO bring TO the knowledge
of the allied and associated delegations
this summary expose of the problem of
the German population.
Il have at the disposal of your ex
cellency statistical proofs Of the above
statements.
Have the honor, etc
tSigned 'Brockdorf Rantzau."
The Allies Reply.
The reply of the allied and associated
powers, approved by the council OF their
representative members on May 22 was
also made public. 1t reads as follows:
"The allied and associated powers have
received and have given careful attention
to the report of the commission appoint
ed by the German government to exam
inc the economic conditions of the peace
treaty.
''This report appears to them to con
tain very inadequate presentation OF
the facts of the case, to be marked in
parts by great exaggeration, and to ig
more the fundamental considerations
arising both out Of the incidence and
the results of the war, which explain and
justify the terms that it is sought to
impose.
"The German note opens with the
statement that the industrial resources
of Germany were adequate before the
war for the nourishment of population
of 67,000,000 and it argues as though
this were the total for which, with di-
minished resources, she will still be
called upon to provide.
'This is not the case The total pop
ulation of Germany will b reduced by
about 100000 persons in the non-Ger
man territories which it is proposed to
transfer. 1t is the needs OF this smaller
aggregation that we are called upon to
consider.
Complaint is made in the German
note that Germany is required to sur
render her merchant tonnage, existing or
in the course of construction, and that
prior claim is made upon her shipbuild
ing capacity for limited term of years.
No MENTION however, is made of the
fact that considerable portion of the
smaller tonnage of Germany is left TO
her unimpaired; and it seems to have
entirely escaped the notice of her spokes
man that the sacrifice of her larger ship
ping is the inevitable and necessary pen
atty imposed upon her for the ruthless
campaign which, in defiance of all laws
and precedent, she waged during the
last two years Of the war upon the mer
camille shipping of the world.
CAS- a partial offset against the l2,
10000 tons of shipping sunk, it is pro-
posed TO transfer 100000 tons of Ger
man shipping In other words, the ship
ping which it is proposed to take from
Germany constituted less than one third
of that which was thus wantonly de-
stroyed. The universal shortage of mer
chant shipping is the result, not of the
terms of peace, but Of the action of Ger
many, and no surprise can reasonably
be felt if she is called upon to bear a
share-and it is very moderate share
of a loss for which her own criminal
deeds have been responsible.
Great stress is laid on the proposal
that on the eastern side Germany shall
be deprived of the regions specially de-
voted to the production of wheat and
potatoes. This is true. But the note
fails altogether to observe that there is
nothing in the peace treaty to prevent
either the continued production of those
commodities in the areas in question, or
their importation into Germany. On the
contrary, the free admission of these
products of the eastern district is pro-
vided for during period of three years.
Moreover, it is fortunate for Germany
that these regions have lost none of their
productiyeness owing to the ravages of
war. They have escaped the shocking
fate which was dealt out by the German
armies to the corresponding territories
in Belgium and France on the west, and
Poland, Russia, Rumania and Serbia on
the east. There appears to be no rea-
son why their produce should not CON
tinue to find market on German soil
"Stress is laid on the proposed restric-
tion of import of phosphates II is,
however, forgotten that Germany has
never produced but has always import
ed the phosphates of which she stands in
need. Nor is there anything in the
terms of peace which win prevent or
hinder the Importation of phosphates
into Germany in the future. Other coun-
tries which do not produce phosphates,
are also compelled to import them in
common with many other products from
the outside; and the only difference in
the two situations will arise from the
relative degree of wealth or impoverish-
ment in the countries concerned.
"The German note makes special com
plant of the deprivation of coal, and
asserts that nearly third of the pro-
duction of the existing coal mines will
ha Ioet put n ornite IN notina that