El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-04-22

]
! OF the costs Of restoring French
provinces and cities
The French pointed out that the
!. British had the troops necessary e
OCCUPY ConstantinoDle, BsEdad. Jeru-
salem. 20 secure all the detectives OF
British imperialism, but none 10 sup
port the French on the khlnes Mnete
the French were Still IN the presence
Of the common enemy
10 an this was added the Ameri-
3 can course. France had only &c
cepted the treaty OF Versailles, be-
cause the British and the FRENCH rep
Iresentatives had solemnly agreed that
Britain and America would support
France unhesitatingly and TO the
limit II she were attacked BY Ger
many again. but the course OF events
in the United States senate not merely
disclosed the fact that the United
States would not honor the president S
promise at Paris. but that the British
pledge having been made contingent
| upon American acceptance also be-
came worthless
The moment thus arrived when
France found that she stood
alone on the Rhine America had
retired from Europe definitely,
and her tiny contingent Mt Cob
LEM was no LONGER available for
any real assistance
The British had similarly with
I drawn all but a small portion OF their
! troops and directed their attention at
! military operations in asia and at
I the Bosporus- Britain and America
I had thus disassociated themselves
] from France in the enforcement Of the
{ treaty. But they had done more. they
Z had indicated an increasing desire to
I see the terms of the treaty modified
| in Germany's favor and at the ex-
/ pense Of France.
NJ
Now to the French this meant two
things. II meant that America and
I Britain had broken theiT pledges
embalmed in the treaty Of Versailles
affirmative pledges and that they
also were encouraging Germany 10
evade performance OF her part alike
by giving encouragemeut TO the hope
that the terms would be modified
and more plainly Indicating that they
did not symparhize with the French
policy to enforce the treaty. italy.
on her part was doing all she could
spirit Of revenge, growing cut Of
French refusal to support Orlando
against Wilson in the conference,
but further stipulated by Italian desire
10 block the French effort to create
three strong Slav states in Europe,
Poland, Czecho-Slovakia and Jugo-
Slavia. whereas Italian policy was
anti-SlaT.
France began at once TO feel the
effects OF the policy OF her allies
IN the reduction by the Germans Of
the coal payments, assured under the
treaty. This was a vital matter
tor the French because Of the Ger
man destruction OF the French coal
mines in the Lens region during the !
war But the outbreak OF the kapp
cOunter-reVolution in Berlin put the
whole question into a decisive FORM /
by leading 20 precisely that violation /
French could not under any cir ]
cumstance suffer. namely the invasion /
by German troops Of the ueutralized I
area east Of the Rhine.
no question as 70 the Illegally OF !
the German course was possible. since D
the treaty expressly forbade such an i
invasion The request OF the German /
government for permission TO take /
such course found approval In /
Washington. London and Rome. but 1
not in Paris and the approval did not
and could not constitute a warrant,
without French consent And France
at once and in unmistakable terms
forbade such a violation OF the most
essential element IN the document OF
Versailles, that which covered French
security. Obviously II the Germans,
without warrant could use thei- own
domestic situations as a preteLt for
large bodies o. troops TO the
Rhine they would not fail TO find pre-
come a mere fiction
Notwithstanding this the Germans
did move their troops into the Ruhr-
Again there is no dispute as 70 the
facts. Not only did they move troops,
but they lied as 70 their nun bers- Il
was a clever move from the German
point Of view. IL was calculated 10
disclose the disarray in the allied
camp. II was challenge 10 France
10 act alone, thus inviting British
and Amnrfnau enmerrra or IN ernu7fr
and thus consent TO the consignment
Of the treaty Of Versailles TO the
waste paper basket.
Victorious Alliance Dissolved.
The French reply. the occupation OF
Frankfort and Darmstadt resulted in
immediate British and American criti-
sism and the Germans used this course
10 provoke a collision in Frankfort
oetWeen rrencn troops ana German
civilians, VINO were told that France
was TO be forced by her allies 10
withdraw her troops meantime the
British government had served upon
France a document publicly repre-
lending the French for their course
and indicating absence Of British
support
A greater success for German
strategy was Uncomfortable. At
last the victorious alliance was
dissolved
The present hour Is critical. for {
the moment has arrived at which
Germany must, according to the
treaty provisions disarm. She
has not disarmeds she has more
troops standing today than in
July, 1914.
She has evaded an the provisions
which looked toward depriTinE her
Y weapons. This does not interest
he British because they insisted upon ]
IaFing the German fleet at once and
because they proceeded forthwith 90
.pply the PROVISIONS Of the treaty
the destruction Of the %
orts along the coast Germany has r
10 menace for the British, even II her =
rmy remains large. 1t is Of no con +
ern TO the Americans. for the same ] n
ans because they have no common {
r0utier with Germany. But 10 Is Of &
-ital Importance 10 the French and I d
o the BelEiaus, now awake 10 the ] d
Meaning of recent events. 70 Is a / a
natter Of life and death for the Poles. h
lWays menaced bv German deter \
1ination to retake the Polish provin-
IS coded 20 Poland by the treaty Of c
Tersailles. T
Yet to compel the Germans to dis h
I'm may we'll require force. The O
rmy is still in the hands OF the old
element. LudeudOrff has Z
eturned to favor and influence. / II
ome OF the commanders bear names q
which were notorious before and ?
uring the war. The Ebert govern n
1ent, after a year and a half Of @
he Junker control Of the army for .
he reason that TO attempt 10 do this !.
you'd be to insure swift ruin. At all .
ines the Ebert government has been =
{ the mercy OF the iunkers and the y
roof lies in the faG that following =