New-York tribune., 1920-07-18

The Spa conference adjourned
without finishing its work. 1t
reached two compromises with Ger
many-one on disarmament and one
on immediate coal deliveries. 1t
postponed a decision on the total
Of German reparations.
The obstructive demands Of the
German delegates and of Herr
SHINES, the industrial superman
Of the new republic, were gradually
withdrawn or modified. That was
the natural strategy on the German
side. But Berlin, by insisting on a
large measure of treaty notification,
secured a considerable measure.
This fact appears when the treaty's
terms are compared with the soft
ened terms.
Germany's refusal to disarm held
I'D the execution of the treaty for
many months. The Allies lacked
sufficient moral and military force
to compel execution because they
had disarmed first and then begun
to quarrel among themselves. Hol-
land was summoned to give up the
@-Kaiser for trial. She refused.
So Article 227 of the treaty, provid-
ing for William It's "arraignment
for a supreme offense against inter-
national morality and the sanctity
Of treaties" had to be scrapped.
Germany was then called on, under
Article 22S, to surrender the war
criminals in her custody. She de-
elined to do so. The Allies grace
fully compromised by letting the
Supreme Court at Leipsic undertake
the trial of German offenders.
The treaty required Germany to
reduce the strength Of her army to
100000 men by March 81, 1920.
She still has nearly 100000 men
under arms. At Spa she gave her
word once more to meet the treaty's
disarmament terms. But she has
obtained condonation for her past
failures and also permission to
maintain more than 100000 men up
to October / next, and between
100000 and 10000 up to January
B1921.
In the revision Of the coal pay
ment terms, signed at Spa, Germany
has also been a material gamer.
The Versailles Treaty bound her to
deliver about 100000 tons a year.
She has just signed, under protest,
promise to deliver coal at the rate
Of 24,OO0,000 tons a year-a reduc-
ton Of nearly so per cent. AS fur
ther concessions she receives an
extra price for certain grades of
coal and a loan to supply food to her
coal miners. The Allies also prom
Use to give her an allotment from
the Silesian fields, whether the
Upper Silesia plebiscite goes against
her or not.
The treaty created Reparations
Commission, charged with fixing and
collecting the indemnity from Ger
many. But this commission has car
red no weight with the Germans
1t has now become a mere agency
OF the major Allied governments
which are now going over its head
to modify the treaty through direct
negotiations with Germany. That is
The reason why ex-President Poin-
care recently resigned the chairman
ship of the Reparations Commits
SION. He realized that all the ques-
tons supposed to be settled in the
versailles compact would be opened
lor resettlement if the method OF
direct amendment were allowed te
prevail.
The results at Spa may lesser
sightly the immediate tension be
tween the Allied powers and Ger
Raily. But they will encourage Ger;
many to go on resisting the exc
eution of the treaty. They point tt
many other conferences and com
premises and the complication o.
treaty enforcement with the week-to
week exigencies of European politics