davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
France Unassised Must MazeC Germany Paw

ultimatum threatening to occupy the
Ruhr the Allies showed such determi-
nation. that to save Germany from be-
ing invaded Wirth induced a feeble
majority to support him. He received
22O votes against 172, while the Reichs-
tag has 469 members. Poincare thinka
that as proof that Germany will do
everything in her power to avoid meet
ing her obligations, that she will profit
and has profted by all the concessions
made to her, but she has and will per-
sistently refuse to submit to any of
the conditions imposed.
France mas made too many conces-
sions to Germany already, insists the
former President, but Berlin harps in
loud tone that if concessions are not
made Wirth may fall, dragging the re-
public with him. The Allies are dane
ing to this tune in order to avoid inn
perialism or Bolshevism in Germany,
he says, and sarcastically adds: "1f
there is any danger to the Republic of
the Reich then by all means France
should Immediately bow humbly to
Gcrmany's wishes"
Poincare writes in the Paris "Matin":
"poor Germany! She has just OBJ
ktained the lifting of the ecohomic sane
tions for the end Of this month and
the opening of the Reichstag. 1t is
another gracious act on the part of the
Allies due to the cleverness Of the
Reich. When we have made hu14red
of these concessions we will make a
heavy cross Of them to carry on our
backs.
\ "But didn't Mr.. Wirth declare that
each time we refused to satisfy mis-
wishes he was exposed to the at
tacks of his adversaries and his gov
ernmental authority was menaced
And isn't it necessary that be con-
ciliatory and even generous to save
Mr.. Wirth and with him the German
Republic, the supreme hope of uni
versal peace? The economic sanctions
are, th.sazare, suppressed dsevenS before
tl1uc WNo kSACu w dSVaAAO W tSzA - &c :
ment with the Reich on the functioning
Of the surveillance committee, which is
to prevent Determinations contrary
to. the stipulations Of the Versailles
Treaty and prejudicial to the interests
of France. .4,''
eve will soon know how republican
Germany, which resembles imperial
Germany like a twin, will .recompense
us for this new. politeness. In the
mean time we have only to open our
eyes to see where she is trying to lead
US. With the pretext to better a de-
fective treaty the Allies have NOT
ceased to make itsworse. After, q whole
series of, more and more mediocre
transactions, at the beginning Of May
the Supreme Council drew up an ulti-
matum and method Of payments,
which should, they told us, be the very
limit Of the. concessions.
THE eve Of this heroic resolution
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20

So says Raymond Poincar6, Senator
and former President, in a printed at
tack on the policy of the BRAND gov
ernment, which he declares is in effect
depending upon everything but force
the only way-and is generally too
easy on Germany.
Poincare contends that Germany is
pulling the wool over the eyes Of the
nation which came out of the war vic
torious. Vigorously opposing the pres
ent rapprochement policy Of the BRAND
government, he advocates a system
based on acts rather than kind words.
He considers the committee on guar
antics and the reparations commits
sion, which are supposed to see. that
Germany makes her payments, futile
and absolutely incapable Of any re-
suits so long as they have their hands
tied behind their backs and have not
the power to go to Berlin and dictate
terms, taxes and conditions with a
strong army behind them at their beck
and call.
Germany is rich and prosperous,
says the Senator, who believes that if
the case is properly handled the mark
will go up and France will be repaid.
This question of exchange must be
Regulated before all others, he de-
clares, or Germany will keep printing
marks wholesale in order to buy gold,
and in the end, as the mark keeps 60
ing down, France will have difficulty
collecting. No matter what taxes Ger
many places on the country, these will
never bring anything but worthless
paper marks into the government
treasury.
Poincare attacks the present admin
istration strongly because it raised the
economic sanctions from the Rhine
frontier before an agreement had been
reached on the operation Of the regula-
tion forbidding Germany to make COM
mercial Determinations against the
Allies. At this very time, he adds,
General Nollet, in charge Of the Inter
Allied Commissioned Control in Berlin,
said that Germany had not disarmed,
and "The London Times" announced
that Germany still had 100000 fully
equipped soldiers on foot.
Versailles Treaty Leaves
France "Glory and Ruin"
Poincare brands the Versailles
Treaty as Pyrrhic victory for France.
which left her ~"glory and ruin,"'
and while Germany is perfectly willing
for France to keep the "ruin" she is
doing her best to. dispute the "glory,"
which is the small compensation France
has gained for her great sscrifice.N
When the Supreme Council sent It's
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20

it; but no matter what taxes she may
impose in the future, it will never
bring her anything but paper marks.
We cannot accept paper marks. Ger
many makes as many as she wants, and
she would have nice time debasing
them in printing as many as we would
ask her for. AS long as the mark
doesn't go back to par, we are forced to
demand gold or Foreign specie. The re-
suit is that it is necessary for the
German government to have enough
paper marks on hand to buy sufficient
gold to pay US the annuities which she
owes after deducting the value of the
supplies she furnishes for reconstruc-
tion. But the more paper she puts
out the more the mark will go down
and the balance of the German budget
will be upset between the provisions
they make for receipts and for ex-
penses. This will necessitate a new
issue, which will bring about another
lowering of it's value, and SO it will
continue.
"And, however, the real wealth of
Germany is immense, and it is grow
ing every day, and the signs are in
creasing of growing prosperity The
Reich therefore soon will be solvent,
the mark will go up, expectation will
increase, gold will come back into the
country, and we will finally be paid,
if we want it, with obstinacy and with
method.
"The difficulties they put up are only
temporary. Germany is making fun of
US when she says they are permanent.
The London Conference created, to go
with the Reparations Commission, a
Committee of Guarantees to see that
Germany makes the proper payments.
But If Germany is not disarmed, the
committee is completely useless. 1t
even has its arms cut off. It has the
theoretic right to verify. the German
resources, the amount of her exporta-
tions, the fiscal and customs receipts.
But the committee is forbidden to in
tervene in the administration Of the
Reich: it has no means of enforcing
/ its wishes, and if Germany persists in
depreciating the mark, in sparing her
citizens from heavy taxes, and in dup
ing her debtors, the committee has not
the power to interfere with this
comedy.
"The first, precaution to take, if we
do not want our debtor to enrich her
self at our expense, is to give such
powers to the Committee of GUARANTEES
IS are necessary, or backing the
Reparations Commission with force Sc
that it can exercise on all the wealth
and resources Of Germany the privi-
lege that Article 24S Of the treaty
established as guaranty. A righ,
destitute of sanctions is but an i'm
perceptible shadow. It is up to us to
sec that we sare paid. as it is up te
us to force 1ermany to disarm."
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20

in the sea and in the air, such as were
notified by the note of the Allied
powers Of January 21, 1921. The meas.
ures of which the execution is late
shall be executed Immediately, the
others in the prescribed delays
"On May IL the Inter-Alled Com
mission of Control notified the Ger
man government that the disposition.
Of the ultmatum, relative to tht
Sicherheitpolizei, should be definitely
applied before July Is. On July Is
nothing. August 15, nothing. Septem.
bes Is, nothing. On September 2(
the Commission of Control, which ha.
met with all imaginable difficulties
while exercising it's mission, began
to be bored, and addressed courte
Gus remonstrance to Germany. They
said there are certain prescribed
measures which have not even begun
to be executed. A detailed note
drawn up in Paris, as a follow-up to
the ultimatum, forbade all centraliza.
tion of police; the police has remained
very decidedly centralized. The
technical units Of which it is com
posed are divided in military man.
ner, receive military instruction, and
! they are equipped and caserned in q
military way. They are ,provisioned
with war material for campaigning
They. preserve the character of mo-
bile fighting force. Their effectives
have not been reduced. No change
has taken place in the military acad-
emies. Briefly, concludes the COM
mission, Germany has profted by all
the concessions which have been made
to her, either for the time limits SET
or i'm the number Of her formations,
and in return, she has not submitted
to any. of the conditions imposed
About which the 'Berliner Tageblatt,'
in a semi-official paragraph, says:
by right, the demands Of the Entente
are not justified; in fact, they are
inexcusable. It has cost us a thou
sand efforts to establish our police. 1t
is the backbone of the German re-
public. Without it, the republic would
fall -It7is always, you see, the same
story; and since we must save the re-
public, how could we not consent to
save it's backbone!
Work Against Reparations
Is No Less Dangerous
For the reparations, the work
which is being carried on against the
ultimatum is neither less subtle moi
less dangerous than for the dsarma.
ment. Concerning another Versailles
treaty, that of 1888, Michelet said:
France kept the glory and the ruin.
This. Judgment. was perhaps not very
equitable, for the treaty Of September
8, 1888, had not only given US glory;
it had effaced the memories Of the
Seven Years War, gave. back several
colonies TO France, revived our pres.
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20

tige in Europe and forced England to
recognize the independence of the
United States. But for all that we
have gained, the peace of to-day
would define too truly the words of
Michelet. Furthermore, Germany
while willing to leave us ruin, is al
ready trying to dispute the glory We
have gained.
"In the note, which I mentioned
higher up, the German government
agreed to fulfill, without reservations
or conditions, her obligations, such as
they were established by the repara-
tions commission, and to establ' sh all
the measures Of guarantees prescribed
After having fixed the German debt at
a figure very inferior to the damages
Cat 132 billions) the reparations COM
mission has again attenuated the con-
sequences Of its decision by a state
Of payments which would have the
effect of substituting bonds for pay
ments inv money and Nominal capital
for real capital But, after saving
the Ruhr by pretty bow to the Allies
Germany has begun, against the ulti-
matum which she had Professionally
accepted, a systematic campaign, which
was at first timid and then became
very bold. It is not only papers like
the 'TAegliche Rundschau,' which re-
peat daily, we must not execute the
ultimatum, not only because the execu-
tion is quite impossible, but because
it presupposes guilt on the part Of
Germany, and she is not guilty. 1t is
Mr.. Stresemann who, forgetting his
speech of April %, reproaches Mr.,
Rathenau for having made fragrant
political and economic misrepresenta-
tion when he affirmed that the con-
ditions Of the ultimatum could be real
lied: and Mr.. Stresemann adds: 'We
must get rid of the ultimatum and,
above all, shut up the people who claim
that it is possible to execute it.
."The former Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mr.. Simons, declared at Essen:
i ne payments QeulauucQ. ny CHc Allies
cannot be made; and, in all events,
Germany will not participate in the
reparations if they do not leave her the
left arm of her economic body, Upper
Silesia. The entire Upper Silesia
should belong to Germany
"And finally Mr.. Rathenau himself
says at Munich: The integral execu-
ton of the ultimatum would hurt the
whole world more than it would u.s.
"And Germany, following Mr.. Keynes
objects again, saying she is insolvent
and to force payment would be to bring
on bankruptcy. How can procure,
she says, the annuities that owe
you? ! have no foreign specie. have
mountains Of paper marks, but what
are they worth in your copntry?'
Certainly, to be paid at all, we
must take up the subject of exchanges
frankly. Germany has not made the
lkvies that she should have; far from
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
BnIt0ur
opinion not only favors but demands
that relief from taxation which can
only be found in armament holidays.

opinion not only favors but demands
that relief from taxation which can
only be found in armament holidays.
Question of Far East Is Not
Clear to British and u. s. Public
Now it is not equally true that in
the United States and in Britain the
public grasps the meaning and the
dangers Of the Far Eastern question
For the principles Of the "open door,
and the Integrity Of China" there is,
as / have pointed out frequently, no
such popular understanding as there is
for the policy Of the limitation of arma-
ments. The very principles are diff
cult of translation, hard to make clear
to masses Of people, and having at bot
tom some Of the same inherent weak
ness as marked the Fourteen Points at
Paris.
And the aftermath Of the Paris con-
ference proved that there was little
profit In legislation which sought
revolutions and transformations, for
which the public of the various nations
were not in the least prepared. Dis
armament or limitation of armaments
Is fact which the world public has
grasped--a fact, in Mr.. Hughes's sense.
The Far Eastern question is q prob
lem-grave, certain to have serious
consideration-but as yet a problem
for which no acceptable solution exists
in the minds Of the people Of Japan or
the United States. Therefore, Mr..
Hughes begins with naval ornaments.
And this beginning insures agreement
on the first matter in hand, which will
certainly permit the discussion of other
questions in a better spirit.
Accepting, then, as almost inevitable
now. in view of what has already hap
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
Statesmen Warned Arms
Limitation Only Possible

In addition to defiation, there was
precision. For many weeks, with in
creasing intensity, the debate has
ragged over the relative Importance of
Far Eastern and disarmament issues
The people Of the United States have
seen the conference as one for dis
armament, despite the warnings of
their statesmen that disarmament was
impossible and only measure of limi-
tation possible. The Admin nstration
has held to the view that before dis
armament or limitation must come the
solution of the Pacific problems. The
result has =, been the stimulation of
pessimism and the increase in the dan
ger Of an American-Japanese conflict.
But at the opening session of the
conference Mr.. Hughes deliberately
elected to make the question Of naval
armament the chief business Of the
gathering. By his own words he as
signed the Far Eastern issues to rela-
lively subordinate place, and as con-
sequence the success or failure Of the
: conference itself will be measured
henceforth by the achievement in the
field of armament limitation, which in
practice means in the department of
raval armament.
This decision was a fitting answer
70 Japanese n<aneuver which Just pre-
ceded the first session. BY this ma
Adr,s~oJ u.
disclosed Japanese purpose to go far
beyond general expectation in the field
OF naval reduction and also the evil
dent Japanese wish to mako the ques-
ton OF arms, and not of Asia, the main
business of the conference. Mr..
Hughes's opening program Of reduc-
tion was startling answer to Kato
which, while permitting the Japanese
representative to hope for success in
the direction Of Asia, pinned him down
at once in the matter of naval holi-
days.
Arms and not Asia, then, will be the
conspicuous problem Of the conference,
and in that direction, it seems to me,
lies tho best promise of peace. Look
ing at the conditions and circumstances
~ tse conference as they unfold them
selves in the first days Of the gather
ing, what then are the reasonable ex-
pectations for results that the world
may hold?
Substantial Naval Reductions
Reasonably May Be Expected
First of all, a very substantial re-
duction in tho size Of tho worlds
IN navies, even If there be notifications
Of Mr.. Hughes's initial proposal.
doubtless in due time Japan will press
Tor concessions on our part, which
Will snvisage dismantling existing
iortif'cations and refraining from fur
tner fort:fying in the Pacific, that is
on the western side. We may expect
many technical counter-propositions,
but these will be only technical.
IN the same way we may correctly
infer, think. that the broad general
hnes Of Mr. Hughes's proposal were
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
Directness OF
Tactics Opens
Road to Peace
Strategy in Offering Naval
Plan First Prepares the
Powers to Meet Other Is-
sues With Friendly View
BY Frank H. Simonds

OY FRANK ls 01I1lOnQS
Ut Of the confusion Of the
opening days Of the Confer
ence on Limitation Of Arma-
ment two facts emerge, two
facts which are unmistakable. Already
we have had period of deflation and
of precision. Defation which reduces
60 comprehensive and possible dimen-
sions the program of the conference,
precision which gives boundaries to
the discussion on the question of naval
limitation.
To Mr.. Hughes more than to any one
else is due the fact that despite the
excessive demands of the days pre-
ceding the opening of the conference.
demands voiced most feverishly and
even Historically by some of the for
eiqn correspondents, the atmosphere of
Washington in the first days has been
sharply contrasting with that of Paris.
There is something in the very dry,
Unconditional, prosaic but none the less
impressive manner in which the Secre-
tary of State makes public utterance
which almost without being appreciated
by his audiences has given the domi-
nant tone to the conference itself.
Remembering Paris and all that the
whole world suffered as a consequence
Of the boundless expansion of expec-
tation, one must feel that Mr.. Hughes
has already performed very great
service in bringing the discussion from
the clouds to the pavement in the open
ing hours. In the days which have
been marked by the beginning of the
conference l have encountered Mr..
Hughes several times; the last occa-
sion was a few hours after he had
delivered his address at the first ses
sion. On each of these occasions he
has emphatically asserted that the con-
ference was to have facts, to deal with
facts and the decisions to be reached
would be based upon facts.
Now, when one considers how little
reference there has been to facts in
much of the discussion which has pre-
ceded the conference; when one real
ICES that the country has been deluged
by impossible forecasts of what was to
be done, the service of the Secretary
of State is hardly to be exaggerated,
the service of defation. 1t is easy to
understand why Europeans, and par
ticularly Europeans who have come
here still under the shadow of condi-
tions in their own countries, should ex-
pect and hope to see the agenda Of the
Washington conference extended be-
yond the narrow limits of questions
which, after all, must seem to them
parochial, but it is not less clear, as
Paris proved, that in this direction lies
ruin.
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20

everything was ready for the occupa.
tion of the Ruhr, and the spirit of
Wisdom had Immediately descended
upon Germany. On April %, Mr..
Stresemann German Minister, who has
since been put out Of the government)
made most amiable speeches about US
He said he was in accordance with the
majority of the Peoples party (Volks.
partei)s for policy Of rapprochement
with France and to insist that Ger
many make the necessary sacrifices to
properly execute the provisions of the
treaty. The peasants would have to
accept mortgages on their. lands; the
laborers would have to give more of
their time; capital would give up a
portion OF its profits. Mr.. Stresemann
who as the head of many corporation,
is we'll informed of their customary
maneuvers, Indignantly denounced the
egoism and ill-will Of the important
industries, of the fortune of Hugo
SHINES and Of the profits of the
Badische Anilin. The ultimatum was
sent on May s. What have we
achieved by it so far?
Germany Has Formidable
Army Equipped and Ready
"First Of all, at the very moment the
economic sanctions were suppressed,
the International Commission of Con-
troll, headed by General Nollet, stated
solemnly that Germany had not dis
armed, and The London Times gave
a cry of alarm certifying that Ger
many had managed to preserve an
army Of not less than 100000 men on
foot.
"By Article III Of Paragraph c of
the ultimatum Germany had been or
dered to execute. without reservations
or delay, the measures concerning mill
tary, naval u and aerial disarmament,
notified, to the German government by
thes Allied powers in their letter Of
February 20, 1921; the measures of
execution having come due should be
completed without delay, the others
should be terminated at the fixed
dates.'s s......- .. =
"Inr asking the Reich to accept the
ultimatum Mr.. Wirth, after stating
clearly, that they must save German
territory from the danger of invasion,
after even taking pains to add that
by accepting the Reichstag would
cause the, imminent menace of the
Occupation of = the Ruhr. to disappear,
haughtily affirmed that Germany would
be loyal in the accomplishment of her
obligations. The Reichstag adhered to
the conclusions Of the ultimatum by
the feeble majority of 22O against 70,
among 469 members, and during the
night of May 10 Mr.. Wirth telegraphed
nbte to the Supreme Council in
which he said: The German govern
ment has decided 10, 20, 80 to execute,
without reservations or delay. the
measures for 7disaymament on earth,
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
From, a Special Correspondent
PARIS. November

~ RANCE must depend on herself
and herself alon9lto force pay
ment by Germany of the tre-
= mendous sum she owes France.
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
Schanzer

There remains still another ques-
tion, yet another problem still more
complex. / find that almost without
exception my English friends who have
come here to the conference hope to
see some kind Of Anglo-American asso-
citation in the Pacific, and more ex-
actly some kind of Anglo-American-
Japanese partnership looking toward
the rehabilitation of Chinese finances.
Needless to say, political action would
almost inevitably follow such combina-
tion. In the British mind this supplies
an easy and perhaps the best avenue
of escape from the Anglo-Japanese al
lance, which has become the target of
American criticism.
1t is easier to believe that the
Washington conference will find prac-
ticable plan for naval disarmaments
and satisfactory means for remov-
ing apanese-American friction and
distrust than it is to believe that any
kind Of international association in
China can be agreed upon.
New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
British Cling to Desire
For League Substitute

This brings one to consideration of
the question of an association Of ma
tions in far larger sense. No one
can have read the articles Of H. C.
Wells and other English writers with
out feeling that they all believe that
the Washington conference has as its
primary duty not the consideration of
questions like those Of naval arma-
ments or of Pacific rivalries, but those
larger problems involved in sorne
larger reorganization of international
relations. Our English friends still
cling if not to the specific fact of the