South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-19
nI1RNARD VI. BARUCH ON THE
PEACE.

iiM a. - - ildblfs
Di1RNARD VI. BARUCH ON THE
PEACE.
1t is an interesting book which
Bernard NJ. Baruch has given US in
his The Making of the ReparauOn
and Economic Sections of the
Treaty (Harper < Brothers), book
which will make history.
John Maynard Keynes. author Of
Tine Economic Consequences of the
Peace" says of il. This book is of
different character from any Of
those which have hitherto been
written about the Conference of
Peare. It powerfully illumines his
tory and reveals the secret springs
OF human nature. Ii takes the pri-
vate citizen OF discerning mind be
hind the scenes OF the modern world
Of diplomacy
AS chief economic adviser 10 the
American delegation. and q member
of the Supreme Economic Council,
who helped draw Up The clauses of
which he writes. mr. Baurch is the
hrsr high oeicIal OF the Peace OCn-
ference TO write tie story Of what
happened during those momentous
days. The hurll is further distin-
gLished in :hat the aim of the au-
thor Is explanation, rather than at
tack. and that he regards the
Treaty. not as perfect. nor yet as
the disgrace which IL has been call
ed. but as the best that could be
made at a time when it was i'm
reratiye TO arrive at some form OF
agreement. Here was not an under
staHding to be arrived at by normal
healthy nations but by desperately
wounded countries. exhausted. with
nerves at the breaking point, urged
by hate and fear to demand not
Cnlsy restitution, but revenge. In
his preface Mr.. Baruch says:
in the reparauOn clauses the
Conference was not writing a mere
contract of dollars and cents IL was
dealing with bloOd-raw passions still
pulsing through the peoples veins
No one can understand the
Peace Treaty who does not know
and cannot measure the human con
ditions under which Il was brought
forth. IL is singular. but true, that
peace seemed very beautiful during
the war, but almost hateful when
the war ended. From Il superficial
survey Of the conditions that pre-
vailed at the Peace Conference one
would have been quite justified in
assuming that many on the partici-
pants preferred war with all its hOr-
rors TO any peace short of that
hich they demanded. Their de-
mands had their genesis In deep
rooted and almost ineradicable ha-
treds and in the insistent desire for
self-L rejection against future dan
ger II the ideal peace, which
some demand. had been actually un-
dertaken, with all that il seemingly
involved OF sacrifice and unselhsh-
ness. the result would have been the
overthrow of at least three Of the
major governments. II would have
been followed, further, but the sub
stitution of other representatives
who would have come into power
under a popular mandate requiring
them to be even more exacting In
their terms"
In the first meeting OF the dele
cations representing the Allied
d countries il was decided that each
group should draw up a statement
Of the principles Of reparatiOn as
seen BIZ f. The basic difference be
tween the American idea and the
ideas OF the other countries was i'm
mediately made clear. The Amer
lean delegation was the only one &c
present any denfiite scheme Of rep
" led general statements 10 the eff
feet that. the war being a wrongful
act by Germany. Germany was re-
sponsible for all loss and damage.
direct and indirect. which resulted
therefrom. Mr.. BaruCh's citation
in full Of the arguments on both
sides throws more light on the real
difficulties Of peace making than
could any number Of pages OF COM
ment
From this Mr. Baruch goes on to
the FRA ming Of the clauses them
selves. OF the work Of ascert0ining
the figures on which 20 base them
Of the conditions demanded OF Ger
many and Of the schedule of resti-
tuition imposed upon her.
ApproNimatCly a third OF the book
is given 20 the reproduction. YER
hatin. OF the economic and repara
ton clauses Of the treaty, together
with marginal notes which empha-
/ size their exact mea aiming. and whicf
/ illustrate the manner IN which the
I Economic Commission kent ftSeIf m
formed a. TO the progress OF its
work
/ Here is book in which is nothing
. Uartisan or political which furnishes
/ CURES on which go base his ywn
I -rr4--lrent-tho accurate. Inclusive
iunheatcd account which historians
viii cherish To thinking Amerf-
cans it Is Of paramount interest. for
/ IN II Is found not only the story Of
! their Representatives, but the an