Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11
GERMAN MILITARYRING
BACK, SIMONDS ASSERTS
Deceiving America and England Under
Pretense Of Holding Back Bolshevism.
France Understands Real Motive.

, among thoughtful men and women
that the real hope of peace in the fu-
ture must rest upon the assumption
that Germany. instead of pursuing her
old pathways. renounces a policy Of
conquest and becomes. in the old phrase.
a good European" But such a hope
is empty. If the old elements remain in
control OF Germany. Just as long as
of German policy we shall have just
the same policy as provoked the world
struggle.
, Now, does there exist any real oppo-
sition in Germany? Is there any ele-
ment. political party. force, which is
hostile to the Prussian system and
honestly fighting It? Yes. there is I'M
mistakably real opposition. which IS
politically described as the Independent
| socialists. The men of this party
| would. il they could. destroy the Gera
! man military machine. retire all the
military hierarchy and establish a real.
II radical. form of democratic governs
ment. This is Enthusiastically the enemy.
SO FAR as the Prussian gang In con-
| cerned.
Now. what has happened with re-
spect OF this opposition? Obviously IL
/ mas been at all times assailed by the
military element. In 1918. when the
nrst abortive revolution broke. the
military crowd seized upon the world,
wide fear of bolshevism to govern a
! campaign of repression Of utmost cru
city. The radicals who had opposed
the junkers. the Prussians, during the
war were ruthlessly murdered. the
real revolution was suppressed, at tho
close Of the first revolution. the old
gang ruled absolutely. although they
hid behind the manifestly thin screen
OF the majority socialists. who had
Deen their willing tools throughout
| the war.
/
Bolshevfsm Used rs Screen.
Behind this screen and using the
nightmare of bolshevism. the Prussian
crowd successfully sought, not alone
TO retain control Of the army, but to
prevent the allies from carrying out
their policy. expressed In the treaty
OF Versailles. Of reducing the German
| Prussians controlled the army thew
controlled Germany and could crush
all genuinely democratic movements
within the country. So long as the
army was not reduced the junkera
could at once dominate Germany and
keep the way open for the war Of re-
venge which they began to threaten
peiore the ink was dry on the armiv
stice document.
| Now the French have taken a clear
stand They say. in substance: I'VE
recognize that the men of the western
| industrial districts of Germany who
! TOOK part in the present upheayaJ to
resist the Kappist reactionary stroke
are both honestly opposed to German
militarism and sincere in their desire
to destroy 1t. But for their resistance
the old gang would have gained con,
| troll In their recent attack upon the
existing order. Therefore. such hope
! as there is OF democracy in Germany
OF this group. If we permit the Pruss
SLAMS, under cover of the Ebert gov.
eminent, to send troops into the In
| dustrial districts Of the west and to
repress the revolutionists there. then
the last real opposition to the old
military crowd viii disappear. Reac.
| ton VIII have prevailed.
| More than this, IL we permit the
| russians to augment their military
| FORCES, instead of diminishing them,
as the treaty OF Versailles provides,
and If we permit them to send their
troops into the neutralized region Of
the Rhine. then we at one time waive
| two of the most valuable and most
necessary circumstances in the peace
agreement. In word, the ultimate
purpose OF any German army in the
hands of the old gang is frankly to
reverse the verdict of the last war
! and the reversal must be sought by
an attack upon France. To consent
to the increase of the army and to
| permit this army to cross the neu-
| tralized Rhine barrier is to invite
| future ruin
France thus has acted alone and
emphatically. She has forbidden the
violation of the treaty in the matter
Of the sending Of troops to the Ruhr,
and she has proclaimed her purpose
| to insist upon the reduction of the
German army to the limits foreseen
| in the treaty of Versailles. But, uns
fortunately. the allies of France. par.
ticularly Britain. have been i'm
pressed with the German militaristic
plea that 1t is necessary to preserve,
the German army in order to avoid
bolshevism, and. as a result, there
has been q break between the allies.
which has encouraged the Germans
to risk the defiance of France and
the transport of certain government
troops to the Rhine area.
French action may be foreseen. At
last one nation is emerging from the
fog and preparing to follow a settled
policy. The French mean to insist
| that the German troops shall not be
permitted to invade regions forbid-
den them by the treaty, which are, in
fact, regions through which an at
tack upon France must pass: they
mean to insist upon the reduction of,
the German army. and they have
reached the sane and logical conclu-.
sion that the German cry about boil
shevism is nothing moro or less than
a propaganda maneuver to obtain al
lied permission to keep their army in
full strength and to use It against
the real democratic and liberal ele-,
ments in Germany.
(Copyright;19eo. Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)