Evening star., 1921-04-17
By OLIVER OWEN KUHN.


RANCE is sounding the tocsin.
X "The time for words has
passed. We must now revert
to acts" says Premier BRAND
in looking toward Germany and As
he discusses the German lethargy In
living I'D to the terms OF the treaty
Of Versailles
France must be paid. If Ger
many refuses France must go In
herself and exact payment. 1t is a
question Of life or death" Thus
spake M. de Lastevrie.
Flamboyancy Of utterance may rest
in expediency. but. no matter how
these utterances may seem on their
face, they, nevertheless, represent
and a vast section of the French
people to quit "dilly dallying'' with
Berlin and exact what is due France
for the tremendous losses the Ger
mans thrust upon her during four
years of inexcusable and bloody war
fare. And 1t is the will of the
French to collect that must be con-
sidered in Weighing the future, which,
all must admit, is fraught with
the gravest of potentialities.
May Have Belglans' Aid.
France today by virtue Of political
prejudices existent in England, may
be forced to strike with the sole
aid of the Belgians. when May ar
rives, and passes, as it undoubtedly
will, without the Germans having
met stipulations in regard to in
IDENTITIES prescribed in Paris and
London by the supreme council. Ger
n.
stances meet the demands for 226.-
600 600, 900 gold marks in the form
asked, and II she does not, and the
allies live true to their pledge, fur
ther penalties will be levied.
The allied reparations commission
created under the treaty of Versailles
IL supposed to present its findings
to Germany as provided for on May
/. It may or may not do so. but it is
known that this bill will be much
marks agreed upon by allied pre-
miers during past consultations. But.
as Germany cannot be expected to
meet even the smaller, more lentent
dispositions, the continuing threats
Of French ofhcialdom become more
Of Germany herself. but for the
general reconstruction processes
throughout Germany.
Marshal Foch and Gen. Weygand
have arranged. after long consulta-
tion. to carry out further exactions
through the force of arms. That the
French will strike toward the Ruhr,
occupy 1t fully and then levy taxes
approximating three hundred million
marks a year on coal exports to Ger
this will tend to cripple German In
dustries is foregone conclusion. but
II France also occupies the West
phalian Industrial regions then 1t
may be truthfully stated that France
will have struck a blow at the very
clared may preclude Germany from
ever paying that which IL demanded
Of her.
Sepafati0n OF Provinces.
That such French occupation even
tually will lead to the severance of
the Rhineland provinces and the
Ruhr from Germany is not ques-
toned. for during the fifteen to thir-
ty years Of French occupation any
tendency looking toward perpetual
separation will be fostered. The
French may be successful In proving
to these provinces the disadvantage
Of once more becoming openly at
d1iated with the German govern
among foreign ONCE attaches in
Paris. It has been existent since the
very inception Of the Paris peace
conference and was the subject OF
constant combat with English and
American delegations Since then the
Americans have been striving to wash
their hands Of the whole business and
England, by virtue of developments
in various sections of the old world
where London desires to strengthen
British influence, has been forced to
make concessions to the French-at
least, agree that France go as far as
she likes in settling the reparations
questions, which concern France
more than any other nation With a
free hand there is little chance that
even the most conservative OF the
French schools of political thought
will be able to frustrate plans look
ing toward the eventual taking over
Of the left bank OF the Rhine ana
the Ruhr in one guise or another.
And, It must be frankly stated. In
many countries Of the world there
10 little objection to France doing