El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-03-09
d FRANk ". sIMoNps
y 7 II-1-7I1 II - ~ D
power TO shut off their Commercial
exchanges, if war ever came.
VIZ Germnns Went 10 Mnr

I Why Germans Went to War
Literally Germany became an over,
, crowded nation. living on its manu-
features, dependent upon foreign
markets, but without power 70 pro
tect its commerce.
Though the treaty of Versailles has
. faced the facts Of the situation, !,
! has by no means done full Justice. II
has not restored TO Poland all OF the
regions stolen by the Germans, pay
ing regard 10 the fact that in some
. the Germans have. by means of a
. brutal policy, succeeded IN reducing
the Polish population, but il has re-
stored much. and the things restored
necessarily injure German economic
possibilities
II the Poles get the SIIesIan
coal, it will be the Polish fac
torres which Will prosper, and
Poland will have IN economic de-
velopmenf. No real question has
been raised about the return Of
Alsace-Lorrnine TO France. to-
Eether with the iron districts, bat
a mighty protest has been raised
over the Surre valley, yet both
were stolen from the French, with
equal disregard Of the wishes of.
the Inhabitants, the difference
lying in the dates of stealing,
the one in 1SI4-I5. apparently,
finds warrant in the fact thar IT
has endured n century. while that
Of 1871 is not old enough to be
established.
The question then occurs on the
degree 10 which the world feels IL
wise or necessary TO give the Ger
mans a new opportunity 10 repeat re-
cent history.
As the British Think
Certain British economists would
insist upon the return Of the SiIesian
and Sarre coal basins and. while they
hesitate 10 urge the return OF Alsace-
Lorraine they suggest a CONTRACT v4i
the part OF the French 10 turn over
70 the Germans enough iron ore TO
keep the German factories at work,
receiving, on this condition, q COM
mensurate amount OF coal.
This argument, OF course. disre-
CARDS the desire of the French TO re-
place the Germans in the world steel
markets, 10 gain the position which
would have been theirs. measureably.
but for the German stealing Of 1871,
and beyond question but for the COM
Dined stealings Of 1S14-15 and 1871
As for the Polish industry, and
LODI has vast possibilities and Poland
the population for economic expan-
sion. this is set aside and the decis-
ion based upon the assertion that the
Poles have never been an orderly
people.
But, granted that the restoration OF
Germany on the economic side would
solve many contemporary economic
problems. what would be the politi-
cal effectg In any event Germany
VIII find herself with the same dense
population. capable OF maintaining
itself only by foreign commerce. and
more completely at the mercy Of the
British seapoWer than before the re-
cent war. She viii find herself faced
by certain further handicaps growing
out OF the territorial adjustments.
the loss OF the Lorraine iron and the
Alsatian potash, the loss Of Posen and
Danzigs and the control OF the lower
1istula
VIII Germany ChanEes
II Germany did not. could not ac-
cept the limitations OF 1914, how can
German economic life is brought back
10 the old situation OF prosperity.
how can one escape the conviction
tnat German political life Will not
take the old directiOns7
IL Is nonsense. ad worse than
nonsense TO believe that German
policy was dictated by insane mill
itarism. which sacrificed the eco
monte life OF the country to de-
lusions Of political grandeur. The
truth Is that the German eco
homie expansion developed the
militaristic view. The army has
for a century and n hslf been
merely the pioneer preparing the
way for Prusslan and then for
German commercial Developments.
The proposal 10 sacrifice Poland
and France TO Germany, that German
Industrial life may be reconstructed
and the dangers incident 10 German
7coomic paralysis avoided. is based
upon willingness to forget the his
.Oricai circumstances, both in the
German economic Development itself