El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-03-09

We are asked to give our
countenanee TO leEalizlnE the
steaiings Of Frederick the Great
and all OF HIS successors 10 DOOM
ing the Polls and the French, 30
far ns their economic aspirations
are concerned. solely because the
only visible alternative is the
enforced migration OF upwards OF
ten millions Of Germans and the
eOncOmitant decline Of Germany
~ the economic master OF the
European continent.
False American Sympathy.
In America more than anywhere
else. the spectous plea 10 restore
Germany finds ready hearing, because
Americans are little familiar with the
circumstances Of the making Of this
Germany. The story OF the fashion
in which for a century and a half the
Polish race has suffered every sort Of
wrong because for Frederick the
Greats scheme Of creating a strong
Prussia, the destruction Of Poland
was a necessary detail, is little ap-
preciated and protests about Danzlg
and Upper Silesia are heard with only
sympathetic attention.
To partition Germany seems an act
Of violence and every circumstance in
the restoration Of stolen territory TO
its rightful owners has similarly been
translated TO the American public as
an act of violence. Yet, IL one chose
10 set before himself the map OF
Europe at the hour when Frederick
the Great arrived and compare il with
the map Of the present hour il would
be perceived how extensive are the
stealings which have been left in
German hands, even by the treaty OF
Versailles.
Germany The Robber.
Criticise the economic features Of
the treaty Of Versailles as one may
and on this side the debate is in
evitable; the territorial features en-
title II 20 recognition as the fairest
Of the great settlements which have
been made in all European history.
From Germany IL took Alsaee-
Lorraine. POsens west Prussia.
DanziE and condifiOnnIly upper
SlleSfa and the Surre. But each
OF these circumstances renreg-
ented successful pluuderinE in
past times and II such was
foundation stone OF contemporary
Germany's economic existence. Il
vvnS no less legally and morally
the possession OF another nation
II Germany had acquired Long
Island. by successful intervention IN
American affairs at the time OF the
civil war or the Spauish-American
war. the first condition OF the treaty
OF Versailles, so far as Americans
were concerned. would have been the
OF the island
Granted that the Germans had
cOlOnized IL 30 every last resi-
dent OF Brooklyn was TeutOnics
conceded that the development
had been such that Brooklyn had
become the greatest Of world
ports. allowing that the loss OF 81
might have spelled economic pros
tratiOn for Germany, would any
one OF these considerations have
weighed with Americans. seek
ing 10 reclaim their oysns
Who Shall BE Punishedf
No one viii argue for punitive an
ne1atiOn at German expense, but TO-
day the question is one Of Furnishing
iermany's neighbor by Withholding
from them what was once their own.
because Germany. having taken Il BY
force and developed Il with skill, nop
stands in need OF its increased yield
for her own prosperity: or for her
own economic salvation, for that
matter. Shall Il be done2
Germany restored IS the German
peril renewed, because the peril had
its origin in perfectly familiar cir
cumstances. which have for centuries
operated in exactly the same way
To destroy Germany IS impossible.
but It IS for~Germany 10 rebuild and
Il the world is 10 have surcease from
the German menace. the new German
structure VIII have 70 be in accor-
lance with German circumstances not
resting upon the insecure bases of
stolen territories and intelligent ex-
ploitation Of what belongs OF right
10 other nntions.-C0pyrigh 1890. By
the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate