Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-23

& riec from the relative degree OF wealth
E ~ riupovcrishment in the countries con-
eerned.
German Mines Still Productive
ssThe German note makes special
complaint Of the deprivation of coal,
and asserts that nearly one third OF the
! production of the existing coal mines
will be lost. But it omits to notice that
one fourth of the pre- war consumption
Of German coal was in the territories
which it now is proposed to transfer.
Further, it fails to take into account
q the production of Ignite. SO,oO0,Ooo
tons Of which were produced annually
in Germany before the war. and none of
which is derived from the transferred
4 Territory. Neither is any reference made
TO the fact that the output of coal in
! the nontransferred districts was rapidly
Increasing before the war, and that
there is no reason to doubt that under
proper management there will be con-
tinuing increase in the future.
But, should not the coal situation
B be viewed from a different and wider
standpointr 1t cannot be forgotten that
among the most wanton acts perpctrGted
by the German armies during the war
was the almost complete destruction by
her of the coal supplies of northern
France, An entire industry was oblit-
Grated with n calculation and n saw
agery which it will take many years to
repair. The result has been n grave
and prolonged shortage of coal in west
ern Europe. There can be no reason
ia equity why the effect of this shortage
should be borne exclusively by the allied
nations. who were its victims, or why
Germany, who deliberately made her.
self responsible for the deficiencies,
should not. to the full limit of her ca
pacity, make it good.
Foes Fundamental Fallacy
s'Stress is also laid upon the hard
ships alleged TO be inflicted upon Ger
many by the necessity of importing. in
the future. iron ores and zine. II is
not understood why Germany should be
supposed TO suffer from conditions TO
which other countries contentedly sub
init. 1t would appear to be Il funda
mental fallacy that the political con
troll of a country is essential in order
to procure n reasonable share of its
products. Such a proposal finds no
Foundation in economic law or in his
tory.
.'The allied and associated powers
cannot accept the speculative estimate
presented to them in the German note
on the future conditions of German in
dustry as n whole. This estimate ap-
pears to them to be characterized and
vitiated by palpablc exaggeratons. No
notice is taken of the fact that the
economic disaster produced by the war
is widespread, and, indeed. universal.
: Every country is called uIon 10 suffer.
There is no reason why Germany, which
was responsible for the war. should not
suffer also.
s.Similarly. as regards the population
Of the future, no reliance can be placed
on the data which are contained in the
German note On the one hand. 1t Is
sought to prove that emigration from
1 Germany will he necessary. but that few
countries will receive the intending i'm
migrants. On the other hand. it is
sought to show that there will be
f3ocd of Germans returning to their
,r6atiye land to live under the conditions
a9E Wn1Cn nave hHtduN p''h
intolerable. 1t would be unwise to at
zach too much weight to either specula
tion.
"'Finally, the German note rasnIy as.
serts that the peace conditions VIII
logically bring about the DESTRUCTION
Gloss in Originally of several millions
of persons in Germany in addition to
those who have perished in the war
or who are alleged to have lost their
lives in consequence of the blockade.
AGAINST the war lasses of Germany
might very fairly be placed the far
greater losses which her initiative and
conduct of the war have inflicted upon
the Allied countries. and which have
left an ineffaceable mark upon the man
baod of Europe. On the other hand.
the figures and the losses alleged to hav"
heep caused by tho blockade are purely
hypothetical. The German estimate OF
future losses could be accepted only II
the premises upon which it is presumed
to rest are accepted also.
No Bars Across Future
sBut they are entirely fallacious.
There is not the slightest reason to be-
iieye that population is destined to
\ be permanently disabled because it will
be called upon. in future, to trade