Evening star., 1920-02-15

i L is difficult not to feel that the
Latest allied maneuver. that ex-
pressed in the demand upon Hol-
land for the extradition of the
former German emperor and upon the
German republic for the surrender of
long list OF officials of high and low
degree. from Ludendorff and Hinden-
burg to the ma alefactors of small con-
sequence. guilty of plundering invad
ed districts. is not complete and
unmistakable blunder.
The world, outside of Germany and
her former allied countries. is con-
WINGED that the war. which ended by
he unconditional surrender of Ger
many on November II, 1918, was of
German making. All the evidence
which has been spread upon .he rec
ord since the close of the fighting has
served to confirm the conviction which
existed before the new documents be-
came available.
On the subject of atrocities there is
not less clear evidence in any numbe r
of cases. the celebrated crimes of the
Germans. the murder Of Edith Cavell.
the Lusitania massacre. Louvain and
its Belgian analogies the destruction
of Rheims. city and cathedral; the
execution of Capt. Fryatt. the depor-
tations of Lille, all Of these remain
just what they were. crimes against
humanity and civilization. Nor has
time done anything to soften the judg-
ment of mankind as to the wrong
which was the invasion of Belgium.
the violation of international obliga-
ton. the transformation of sacred
treaty obligations into scraps of pa
per-"
Practical Questions.
But. acknowledging all of this, there
are still practical questions to be
the day when Germany made her de-
mand for an armistice, a demand
which was in fact a confession of de-
I feat and the expression of readiness
: to surrender. Foch. speaking for the
allied governments. might have de-
must be done by Germany to obtain
an armistice that there should be sur
rendered those whose crimes were
known and whose names could be
specified in the document.
At that moment there is small ques-
she had no choice but to comply. To
be sure the kaiser and the crown
prince with the lesser kings and
kinglets, were in Belgium and Swift
zerland. and Ludendorf was in Swe-
den. 1t lay in Germany's power.
granted In Ine ulmoSI SOOu Adieh' ~
deliver only a certain number. even
| of the prescribed still in Germany.
for in the general confusion many of
these would have been able to es-
cape. aided by their eompatriots.
But after the armistice had once
been signed-above ALL when the
treaty of peace had been ratified and
| put into operation-then to demand
scores of Germans who must be sur
rendered and turned over to an enc
my for trial. was this not too much,
granted that in the armistice and in
the treaty provisions had been nm IN
serted covering exactly this contin-
gency? Was not the evil which would
! flow from this demand far greater
than any possible benefit, either for
, eternal justice or national and human
! satisfaction in seeing criminals. some
of them of the very basest sort. TOT
one can have no sympathy with many
of the offenders. meet just and well
merited punishment"
After all. the main purpose which
| all the Inhabitants of all the victori-
Gus countries must consider. must
| work for. is to bring about a reai
| restoration of peace. We shall all OF
us suspect the German for decades TO
| come. even il. a thing wholly unlikely.
| he changes his character in that time
and turns to ideas and methods wh1cn
are in accord with those of the west
orn nations. ne kihC AVAe
| when civilization can feel for the
Germans the same emotions that 1t
felt before 1914, when Germany was
suddenly revealed as thing abhor-
rent to all the democratic and humane
countries in the world
Not to Punish. Bat to Restore.
Nor is it less true that for that ma :
terial destruction which Germany has
wrought she must be made 10 pay.
The purpose of this payment IS not 10
punish, but to restore; either Ger
mans or French or Belgians must pay
for the vast and incredible devasta-
tions which remain desert OF desc,
Iation in all of northern France and
Belgian Flanders. The sole proper
omestion is here: How much can
Germany pay?" To ask more is to
destroy the chance of getting any
thing. to ask less is to do intolerabIe
injustice to the people Of France and
We are all agreed that because the
cerman national sentiment may be
ofYended. the German military or even
patriotic emotions may be aroused to
the peril Of future world peace. there
| is no lust excuse for sacrificing either
the recognized claims of the countries
| which have been invaded nor the
right of the recently liberated popu-
| lations. the Poles. the inhabitants OF
Alsace Lorraine. the population OF
Danish districts Of Schlesvig.
! But, having agreed that Germany
must pay as much as she can. that
there must be no sacrifice OF the
rights of smaller nationalities to any