New-York tribune., 1920-07-10
The Spa Compromise.


The Spa Compromise
- The German delegates at Spa have
accepted the modified terms on dis
armament offered by the Allied rep
resentatives. In all these wearying
negotiations between the victors and
1.-THE vanquished over the execution
of the treaty the formula is the
same. the process is the same, the
result is the same. Having nothing
to lose and everything to gain, Ger
many always gains something.
On the one hand we have the
treaty, which contains certain def
mite provisions. On the other hand
is the German government, unwilling
to fulfill its obligations and hoping
10 play on Allied sympathy or dis
sensions to escape punishment.
The treaty said that by March 81,
1920, the strength of the German
army would have to be reduced to
100000 men. But in July, 1920,
Germany is found to have about
100000 men under arms and to be
{ far behind on the deliveries of war
material which she promised. What
was to be done? Germany had vio-
Z lated the treaty, and she expects to
continue 20 violate it. Yet the vic
lators are now invited to make new
. and less onerous pledges. After be-
ing threatened with an Allied occu-
patton Of the Ruhr district they
have consented to go through the
form Of making them,
Germany reengages to reduce her
army to 10000 men by October l.,
1920, and to 100000 men by January
/, 1921. But she protests against
an Allied occupation of the -Ruhr in
case these reductions are not eff
fected. They will be effected if the
Berlin government believes next
October and next january that
Great Britain and France can agree
ison a demonstration in the Ruhr.
Otherwise these new Spa promises
will be superseded by promises ex-
-stracted at another conference.
=, Germany signed the Versailles
Treaty under protest. She hasn't t
any idea of living up to it's terms
saunless she is persistently bounded
sss.into doing so. Whenever the Allies
isget tired of bounding her or fall
esout among themselves the treaty
4 will fall to pieces 1t doesn't pro-
vide sufficiently for it's own enforce
f,ment. Even after she is partially
,.disarmed {she will never be COM
pletely disarmed) Germany will be
difficult to overawe. She can be
s'ssheld in check only by military force,
land the failure of the peace con-
ference to provide military security
sseither for France or for Poland
makes it difficult to keep Berlin
under constant military pressure
Moreover, there are powerful ele-
i,ments in Great Britain working
more or less openly for q radical
modification of the treaty to Ger
many's advantage.
= The great and tragic blunder Of
the peace conference was in not re-
-apportioning Europe quickly and
putting some really stable force bo-
hind the reapportionment. Now the
territorial and political readjust-
.ment has nothing back of it but a
hand -to-mouth Allied concert and
the shadowy League of Nations.
These agencies don't execute the
treaty, whose provisions are grad
,d''ually being nullified piecemeal by
German resistance. One Spa and
one San Reno may succeed another.
But until Allied unity, broken at
Paris by Mr.. Wilson's indebtedness,
llis reachieved, the treaty will hardly
escape continual wearing away
through diplomatic interpretation
compromise protocols and out-and-
s'out amendment.