Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-18

Germany should be econ onically boycotted
as a means of increasing its military pun
shment. Now the supreme council is con-
sidering economic assistance to Germany.
Thus the NEW YORK TIMES (Ind. DEM
describes the great change in the attitude
of the Allies toward Germany since the YER
sailles treaty was drawn up. In Word,
adds the PITTSBURG LEADER (Prog. Rep
"the statesmen who framed the term OF
peace at Versailles confess they must undo
all the work and perform it all over" and
the LEADER goes on to say
"They must now do what they should
have done a year ago. Then they refused
to listen to sane suggestions. The program
they have mapped out now is precisely what
they were told at Versailles they should have
prepared a year ago. They could not see 1t
then-perhaps for the advancement of per-
sonal political programs they did not want
to see anything they did not want to see.
What is this new program OF the Allies
concerning Germany? The Official state
ment Of the Allied supreme council says:
"It is most desirable in the interests OF
the allied countries no less than Of Germany
that at the earliest possible moment the
total repayments to be made by Germany
under the treaty of Versailles should be fixed
and that in accordance with the terms OF
the treaty. . . she Germany should be
enabled to obtain essential foodstutfs and
raw materials and, if necessary in the opin-
be allowed to raise abroad loan to meet
her immediate needs, of such amount and
with such priority as the reparatlons COM
mission may deem essential"
A striking illustration of just what loan
to Germany means is given by the PHILA-
DELPHIA RECORD Gnd. Dem.), which
tells of a man fined in court who pleaded
that che had no money with him, but he
had enough money at home, if he only had
the means of getting there. The tender
hearted judge lent hi mmoney to go home
and get enough money to pay his tine. i"
Yet when the victors assessed the cost or
war against Germany they had little thought
that they would have to set Germany up IN
business before they could collect. sit is a
grim reversal of things from what we
thought they would be, and should be- re-
marks the WHEELING INTELLIGENCER
(Rep), ''but the world needs the products
of German mines, mills and factories, and
it needs to help Germany now if Germany
is ever going to be able to repair some or
the damage she has done in the world"
But this policy "does not imply" declares
THE ATLANTA JOURNAL (Dem.), "any
relaxing of the will to keep Prussianism i'm
potent. 1t means, on the contrary, safe
guarding reaction against the danger of
Prussanism's returning as the tenfold devil
of bolshevism." The FRESNO REPUBLI-
CAN Ind.) points out also that the new
plan is distinctly in the interest Of the AL
lies.
England and France are literally afraid
to let Germany go bankrupt, just as we
ought to be afraid to let England and France
go bankrupt Whether we love each other
or hate each other, we are in the same boat,
and we cannot afford to have any leaky
spots in anybody's compartment OF it,
Germany must be helped" agrees the
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (Rep), "but
Justice forbids that it be helped at Frances
expense" And this is what France fears,
especially if the proposed loan to Germany
should constitute a first mortgage on Ger
man revenues. The French believe their
reparation claims should have precedence
France is right in insisting, declares the CHI
CAGO EVENING POST Ind.), "that moth
ing be done to lessen the indemnities
which Germany is actually required to pay
in reparation for injury to invaded coun-
tries" but 1t believes that France is pro-
tected in this respect by the decision to leave
the question Of priority to the Preparations
commission. However, as the NEW YORK
GLOBE (Ind) notes, a proper provision for