Evening star., 1920-12-19

hood and awful outrages against our
women, and that recovery from 1t
means financial effort unparalleled
In any nations history.
And 1t must be remembered that
not only France bears the tremendous
loss which all this must entail, but
that. now that the warts over.
though weakened by it's. terrible
[destruction.s = she must face the vast.
unprecedented task of the rebuilding
OF the ruins and-more's the pity-she
must face it without enforcement of
ner claim against the Germans, be-
cause Germany has not paid. as yet,
one mark. and never will If she be not
compelled.
UERANCE has not lain down. wait
ing for the world to come and
help her. She has paid all the ex-
penses of her own war effort. the
greatest ever made by any nation in
all history, and she has advanced
$4,000. 900, 900 francs to her own dew
aStated regions, so that with these
sections at least partially rebuilt the
greater burden of the war might not
fall unjustly alone on those who were
by fortune fated to.be residents of the
regions Tavisheds.by the, Germans, and
so that this rich. territory might re-
sumo productiofl; . she. has paid five
billions, in pensions to widows and
orphans of the dead and to those Grip
hundred millions to Germany, so that
German miners might be fed, upon
the plea that If they were not they
could not begin to mine the coal al
lotted to France by the peace con-
ference. That; does not indicate.
pauper nation sitting by the road side
begging, aims. does 1t? y -.-- s..t.
"We now have proof that the great
sum paid to Germany for the feeding
of the miners was in nowise used as
meant and provided. but, instead, was
used to spread German and red
propaganda.
Our taxes have been more than
trebled in two years, rising from
about 120 francs per capita to about
400 francs per capita, and these
higher taxes have been paid by the
French people without protest. Our
economic situation is very good and
will work out to the safety of the
world and the satisfaction of France
if the allies help US to compel Ger
many %o pay us that which by all the
she was declared rightfully to owe US.
I'VE have not asked. nor shall we
ASK, anything for the expenses OF the
war. We fought to save ourselves
and the good world; the other allies
and America did exactly likewise.
astation which she wrought, and
must make good those vast advances
with regard to coal which she OBJ
tanned after the armistice on pre-
lenses SO far false. !
These results can be obtained with
out war; indeed only through obtain
ing them can the world be made safe
from war. II Germany is shown that
the allies remain one and indivisible
in their determination, that will be
sufficient.
''If, on the other hand, she finds that
spendings upon propaganda and .dodg-
fngs of her obligations are tolerated
and effective, she. being as utterly
without conscience as she has proved
herself to be without shame. will
Nothing can be done now without
an understanding between Germany
on the one hand and England, France
and the United States upon the other.
II Germany sees that the old align
ment against her Is preserved when n
she does evil, then she will case her
evil works and not unless she sees.
THE worlds interests demand quick
action on these lines. Germany Is as
dangerous q potential enemy Of de,
cent civili1aticn nov nov as she proved
without this concerted. action she
will not regard herself as utterly de-
feated; on the other hand. as ! shall
show. her seheming. sinister politi-
clans. by no means have aban-
doned their old thoughts of world do
minion, but hold that they merely
have lost one phase of the struggle
with the possibility Of more success
in later phases. This argument is
common in the secret conclaves of the
German leaders at this moment.
+
ucERMANY won great victories as
well as lost great battles. Who
can regard the Russian downfall as