El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-02-21
WTAsHNGToN D. c. Feb. 2l-It is

XITASHNGTON. D. c., Feb. 21.-It Is
w difficult not 10 feel that the lat
est allied maneuver. that ex-
pressed in the demand upon Holland
for the extraditlon Of the former Ger
man emperor and upon the German
republic for the surrender OF a long
list Of officials Of high and low de-
gree. is not a complete and unmls-
taxable blunder.
The world outside Of Germany ana
her former allied countries, Is con
WINGED that the war. which ended by
the unconditional surrender OF Ger
many on November II, 1918, was OF
German making.
All evidence which has been spread
unon the record since the close OF
the fighting has served 10 contlrm
the conviction which existed before
the new documents became available.
On the subject OF atrocities there
is not less clear evidence in any num-
, Der OF cases
The Practical Side
But. acknowledging all OF this.
there are still practical questions 70
be faced 1t was conceivable that on
the day when Germany made her de-
mand for an armistice. demand
which was in fact a confession Of de-
feat and the expression OF readi-
ness TO surrender, EOchs speaking tor
. AlAAl4 elH AAAAAHAAAa LII lAA nav
handed in the list Of things which
must be done by Germany to obtain
an armistice, that there should be
surrended those whose crimes were
known and whose names could be
specified in the document
At that moment there Is small
question as 20 the response Of Ger
many; she had no choice but to
comply
But after the armistice had once
been signed, above all when treaty Of
peace had been ratified and put into
operation, then 70 demand scores OF
Germans who must be surrendered
and turned over TO an enemy for trial
was this not too much2
After ALL the main purpose which
all the Inhabitants Of all the VIC
torious countries must consider, must
work for. is TO bring about real
restoration OF peace We shall all Of
rs suspect the German for decades 10
come. even ia thing wholly IN
likely-he changes his character in
that time and turns TO ideas and
methods, which are IN accord with
those Of the western nations.
Germany's Dirty Hands.
The time is long distant when
civilization can feel for the Germans
the same emotions that Il felt before
1914. when Germany was suddenly
revealed as a thing abhorrent to all
the Democratic and humane countries
in the world.
Nor is it less true that for that
material destruction which Germany
has wrought she must be made to
pay. The purpose Of this payment is
not to punish, but TO restore; either
Germans OF French or Belgians must
pay for the vast and incredible de-
Vastatious which remain a desert OF
desolation in all Of northern France
and Belgian Flanders The sole proper
question is here. How much can Ger
many pay2" To ask more Is 10 de-
stroy the chance Of getting anything.
TO ask less Is 20 do intolerable in
Justice 70 the people OF France and
Belgium
But having agreed that Germany
must pay, as much as she can, that
there must be no sacrifice OF the
rights OF smaller nationalities 70 any
mistaken desire TO conciliate the Ger
man people. it still remains true that
there are questions which may be
approached with q certain degree Of
moderation The allied governments
and peoples must consider in what
direction their ultimate interests lie.