The Washington herald., 1920-12-06


offer to him who has eyes to see
in demonstration Of the truth that
this guarantee has become a thing
of terror.
A guarantee should, by Its very
nature, reassure and tranquillize;
this guarantee, instead. is a cause
Of uneasiness and prevents France
from having faith in the real guar
antees on which she might count.
For this is the tragic knot Of the
continental policy: France is safe
enough for the moment: but she be-
lieves she is in danger because they
have given her this guarantee OF
security! ,'--
Europe Not Threatened.
1t does not appear that Europe is
threatened. at any rate for the mo-
ment. by an act of German revenge.
like the Prussian revenge of 1919.
The comparison will not hold. II
the entente has committed mistakes,
it has: not abused its strength, as
Napoleon did. And Germany made
too great an effort during the war.
and Is therefore in need of a long
period of repose, in order that she
may regather her forces
The present state of Europe is
therefore q serious guarantee for
France. But this disarmament,
which has been imposed upon Ger
many and accompanied by so many
controls. Is a permanent offense and
a terrible humiliation for her. since
IL places her in the position of a
state protected by foreign powers.
Now, how lis II possible to sup
pose that a people which up to yes
terday was rightfully considered as
the most powerful in the world in
regard to arms, and was rightly or
wrongly admired as the leader or
Western civilization, should from
one moment to another submit to
being reduced to the condition of
Turkey or Morocco. just because she
has lost a war?
Germany will submit to this i'm
position as long as she is compelled
to by force. but she will always pro-
test against its injustice and will
curse and hate the peoples who have
conquered her, even II she has no
hoperof being able to take a promp,
revenge.
And that is why. in her turn,
France loses her peace of mind.
After such terrible war 1t is nat
ural that a people should reason
more with its feelings Of hatred
and fear than with its brain. How
could the fact OF some thousands OF
cannon being destroyed and the ef-
fective forces reduced reassure such
a people when 1t knows that Ger
many is fun of hatred and that she
would not hesitate. to seize a favor.
able occasion for revenge should
one present itself?
Disarmament- Stirs Hatred.
Even although She is disarmed
Germany cannot but appear as q
danger 70 the neighbors she hates
with her overpowering population
and the terror that is kept alive BY
the recent memory of what sh,
could do and what she dared to do
And the compulsory. disarmament
given to France as guarantee by tn,
congress. comes just in, time to stil
up afresh Germany's hatred. Europ,
has already fallen again into {
vicious circle that is worse than tn,
one in which she furiously strug.
gled before 1914. Germany. fear,
France and accuses that country o.
depressing her without mercy
France, in her turn. is afraid o
Germany and accuses the Germans
of wishing to destroy her. Fea,
generates hate and hate in its turI
is provocative of fear.
Germany is exasperated by tn,
humiliation Of compulsory disarma
ment and control and this .exaspera
tion constitutes the great uneasinesi
of France, for whose security tha
disarmament was mainly imposed
The more thoroughly Germany 4
Sisarmed, the more fearful and sus
picious France becomes, and tn
more convinced that, disarmament 1
not a sufficient guarantee. It Is :,
year since peace was made, an,
France is keeping TOO, 900 men unde
arms in order to keep Germany dis
i armed; the two countries. one dis
armed and the other armed to tn
teeth, hate each other more thai
ever because never have they fel
such fear. each of the other.
Such a terrible tragedy. was neye
before seen in the history Of Eu
rope. BUTT Is not the sole tragedy
to the guarantees Is added the repa
ration, that the Old World maye b
lArivap 70 fha Ernffg - Hnon.t~