Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-23
IS TO BLAME
FOR ECONOMIC TERMS
Continued From Page IL

would be reduced to earning their
livelihood by navigation and by trade.
Those persons would have to emil
crate, but that IL q material impossi-
bility oil the more so because many
countries, and the most important
cation. Moreover, hundreds of mil
lions (D Of Germans expelled from
the territories of the powers now at
war with Germany. from the colonies
and territories which Germany must
surrender, will return to their native
land.
Means Loss Of life.
1.-THE putting into execution of the
conditions Of peace would therefore
eral millions of persons in Germany.
This catastrophe would not be long in
coming about, seeing that the health
of the population has been broken
down during the war by the blockade.
and during the armistice by the ag-
gravation of the blockade Of famine.
No help, however important or over
however long a period it might be dis
tributed, would prevent these deaths
en-masse. Peace would impose on
Germany numberless human sacri-
fees that this war Of four years and
q half did not demand Of her pride
%{1,750,000 killed, nearly one million
dead, victims of the blockade.)
1--WE do not know, and indeed we
doubt. whether the delegates of the
Allied and associated powers realize
the inevitable consequences which
will take place in Germany. An in
dustrial state very thickly populat-
ed. closely bound up. with the eco
nomic system of the world, and re-
duced to the obligation to import en-
Ormous quantities of raw material
and fcodstuffs, suddenly finds herself
pushed back II the phase of her de-
v%eloplnent which would correspond to
her economic conditions and the
numbers of her population as they
were half a century ago. Those who
will sign this treaty will sign the
death sentence of many millions Of
German men. women and children.
II thought it my duty. before en-
tering upon a discussion Of other de-
tails of the treaty, to bring to the
knowledge Of the Allied and asso-
ciated delegations this summary ex-
pose OF the problem of the German
population.
"T have at my disposal OF your
above statements. fSigned)
Observation-Disclosures" -
The Allies Reply.
The reply Of the Allied and asso-
ciated powers, approved by the coun-
Gil Of their principal members on May
%, also was made public. 1t reads
as follows:
THE Allied and associated powers
have received and have given careful
attention to the report of the commits
sion appointed by the German govern
ment to examine the economic condi-
tons of the treaty of peace
This report appears to them to
contain a very inadequate ~presenta-
ton OF the facts of the case, to be
marked in parts by great exaggera-
ton and to ignore the fundamental
incidence and the results of the war.
which explain and justify the terms
that it is sought to impose.
The Germans note opens with the
statement hat the industrial re-
sources Of Germany were adequate
before the war for the nourishment
of d population of $1,000. 900 and it
for which with diminished resources
h will still be called o to pro-
vide.
Tho True Story.
This is not the case. The total
population of Germany will be re-
duced by about six million persons
in the non-Gcrman territories which
IL Is PlOpOScu 10 TRANSFER. IL IL l1le
needs OF this smaller aggregation that
we are callSd upon to consider.
Compliant is made in the German
note that Germany is required to sur
render her merchant tonnage. existing
or in course of construction. and that
a prior claim is made IN her ship
building capacity for a limited term
of years. No mention. however. is
made Of the fact that considerable
portion of the smaller tonnage of Ger
many is left to her unimpaired; and
il seems to have entirely escaped the
notice Of her spokesman that the sac.
rifice of her larger shipping is the
inevitable and necessary penalty i'm
posed upon her for the ruthless cam
and precedent. she waged during The
last two years of the war upon the
mercantile shirning of the world.
"As a partial offset against thu
twelve Int three-fourths million tom
of shipping sunk. it is proposed Il
transfer four million tons of German
shipping. In.other words the ship
Germany constitutes less than one
third of that which was thus wanton
ly destroyed.
1.-The universal shortage, of mer
chant shipping is the result. not o
the terms of peace. but Of the actor
of Germany. and no surprise rea
sonably be felt if she is called upol
crate share-of a loss for which he
WI criminal deeds lave been re
sponsible.
Great stress is laid on the pro
posal. that on the eastern side Ger
many shall be deprived of the region
specially devoted to the productio,
Of wheat and potatoes. This is true
4 D,,< ~ n~x1 R1;I.
serve that there is nothing in tn
peace treaty to prevent either tn
continued production Of those com
modities in the areas in question o
their importation into Germany. 0,
the contrary, the free admission o
these products of the eastern dis
tricts is provided for during a perio
tunate for Germany that those region
have lost none Of their productive
owing to the ravages of war. The
have escaped the shocking fate whic,
was dealt out by the German armie
to the corresponding territories |
Belgium and France on the west. an
Poland, Russia, Rumania and Serbi
reason why their produce should nc
continue. to find a market on Germa
soil.
Import Phosphates.
Stress is laid on the proposed re
strtctions of the import of phosphate,
It is, however, forgotten that Ger
many has produced but has al
ways imported the phosphates 9
which she stands in need. Nor
there anything in the terms of peac
which will prevent or hinder the i'm
portation Of phosphates into German
in the future. Other countries whic
do not produce phosphates are ais
compelled to import them in com
mon with many other products froY
ss4fhp nsIfSfdn. and tho on1,, diPav>nn