Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-18
TREATY ENFORCEMENT
is DISTURBING EUROPE
Frank H. Siimonds Sees In Recent Crisis
Same Divergence of Views That
Wrecked Paris Conference.

debate that they would seize upon
every possible pretext and exploit
every possible opening both to obtain
notifications and to evade applica-
ton of the treaty. German interests
were, therefore. Immediately and i'm
mensely served by the divergence be-
tween the nations which had con-
Quered Germany.
We have seen in the United States
and the domestic history of Britain
illustrates the same truth-that fol-
lowing the emotional idealism Of the
actual war. there sets in a reaction
OF selfish materialism. Lloyd George.
sensing this selfish materialistic
wave. which took cover behind the
moral diatribes OF q few pacidsts and
pro-Germans. Of tho element which
had opposed the war at the beginning.
urged peace by negotiation during its
progress and passed logically to a
demand for a soft" peace. when It
was over. seeing that tho war and the
armistice had together obtained for
tho British all that the victory could
yield.
Very promptly the German sensed
the situation and began a policy of
propaganda and OF evasion. But be-
hind all else was the German policy
OF not complying with the treaty
Again and again tho issue of treaty
provisions was raised. Lloyd George
In his campaign OF 1918 had promised
tho British people the punishment of
the German offenders against inter-
national law because he had believed
that hanging the kaiser" would
prove a successful campaign cry.
Lloyd George Changes Front.
But when the pledge had been full
filled by provision in the treaty OF
Versailles for the delivery Of the crimi-
nails and the moment arrived to enforce
it. George. discovering that British SEN
timent had changed, advocated dropping
the matter.
The result was clash between Paris
and London. the failure to enforce the
provision and the disclosure to the Ger
mans Of the disarray in the allied camp
and the promise therein contained that
in the future similar differences would
ieaQ TO similar Surrender8.
To all this was added the American
course. France had only accepted the
treaty Of Versailles because the British
and the French representatives had SOL
EMMY agreed that Britain and America
would support France unhesitatingly
and to the limit. II she wers at
tackled by Germany again. bat the course
Of events in tho United States Senate
not -nsss,y disclosed the fact that the
United States would not honor the Presi-
dents promise at Paris. but that the
British pledge having been made con-
tingent upon American acceptance. also
became worthless
France Alone ON the Rhine.
The moment thus arrived when France
found that she stood alone on the Rhine.
America had retired from Europe den-
nitely. and her tiny contingent at Cob
lenz was no longer available for any
real assistance. The British had SINH
larly withdrawn all but a small por-
ton of their troops and directed their
attention at military operations in Asia
and at the Bosporus.
Now to the French this meant two
things. It meant that America and
Britain had broken their pledges. and
that they also were encouraging Ger
many to evade performance OF her part.
alike by giving encouragement to the
hope that the terms would be modified
and more plainly indicating that they
did not sympathize with French policy
to enforce the treaty.
France began at once to feel the ef-
fects 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 for the French
because of the German destruction Of
the French coal mines in the Lens
region during the war. But the out
break of the Knapp counter-revolu-
ton in Berlin put the whole question
into a decisive form. by leading to
precisely that violation of the treaty
of Versailles which the French could
not. under any circumstances suffer.
the invasion by German troops
of the neutralized area east OF the
Rhine
No question as to the illegality OF
the German course was possible, since
the treaty expressly forbade such an
invasion. The request of the German
government for permission TO take
such a course found approval in
Washington. London and Rome. but
not in Paris. and the approval did not
and could not constitute "A warrant
without French consent. Notwith
standing this the Germans did move
their troops into the Ruhr. Again
there is no dispute as to the facts.
Depth of Bitterness shown.
French comment upon British action
reveals tho depth of bitterness which 1t
has provoked But there is very much
IN the treaty which no Frenchman
would have consented TO permit to be
put into tho treaty. had there not beeh
.he exprcss understanding that as
,ounterweight France should receive
American and British support. More
over. the present hour Is critical. for
he moment has arrived at which Ger
many must. according to the treaty pro-
,isions. disarm. She has not disarmsd.
The has more troops standing today than
n July. 1914.
Yet to compel the Germans to dis
arm may well require force. The army
8 still In the hands OF the old mill
artistic element Ludendorn has re-
urned TO favor and influence. some
II the commanders bear names which
we're notorious before and during the
var The Ebert government after
ear and a half Of power has totally
allied to dislodge the junker control
TO- hA hat 70
attempt to do this would be to insure
witt ruin.