The Washington herald., 1921-05-01

is SO great that Germany win not
undertake to pay It. save under
pressure, and Is bound to seek 81
every future opportunity TO avoid
paying It. Even IL the sum were
nxed at t15.ooo. 900. 900. Il would be
matter of q quarter OF a century
before It could possibly be paid In
full, and thrpughout that whole
period you wbuld have the same
German evasion attempted and the
same need of coercive methods on
the part OF the French.
l. Under the Treaty Of Versailles Al
lied troops were to occupy German
territory for fifteen years. progress
lively evacuating districts, provide
Germany observed the treaty pro.
visions. But Germany has already
violated the treaty provisions. and
the French have Indicated their de-
Termination. as q consequence. 10
extend the period OF occupation
over the times during which the
payments must be made. In a word
We are going to have German ter
ritory occupied by Frehch troops
/ for the length Of time payment OF
tne account takes. and this will cer-
talniy pe 2 quarter Of century.
But, II Germany continues to seek
evasion you are going to have an
ever-increasing extension Of the
area OF occupation, which Is now
20 De expanded to include the
huhr. Thus you are certain to have
condition of all but technical war,
lasting Tor at least a quarter of a
century, and probably for a full
generation. Under the treaty of
fersaiiies. France is within her
rishts In insisting on this occupation,
but. under her own conception. OF
national interest, Germany refuses
TO comply with the treaty terms,
which must be complied with IL
there Is to be any evacuation.
Even IL the sum of reparations
should be now reduced, France
would still retain her armies or
occupation. her sole method Of in
surfing payment, and any attempt OF
Germany to evade-and such at
tempts are. inevitable-any dis
agreements over details, would lead
TO new crises exactly like those
which have disturbed Europe and
the world for the past two years
ma led to two excursions beyond
the Rhine. while a third, even more
extensive is now preparing.
Mediation Not q Solution.
Talk OF mediation leads to no
solution. because there Is no corre-
spending agreement to enforce the
terms which emerge from such a
mediation. Neither Great Britain
nor the United States is interested
IN Assisting France in enforcing any
:erms by supplying troops to assist
The French in the occupied area
Both the United States and Great
Britain are vitality interesed in clos
ing up the German dispute and In
restoring the German market for
their own trade. But both the
United States and Great BRIAN hold
France to pay very large war loans
and they cannot successfully under
take to persuade France to reduce
her bill against Germany while in
sisting that she pay them every
centime. which she has borrowed
from them.
In the last analysis, France is
not going to make concessions
which will materially reduce her
own reparations claims. while the
sole or the major benefit will fall
upon her own treasury. But II
France sets out to collect her bill
by employing her armies, as she
can, the process will work very
great hardship both to the United
states and to Great Britain. II the
whole question were sent to an
other international conference no
useful result would be attained
Unless the United States and Great
Britain were prepared to forego
;ome OF their claims against France,
% balance French reductions Of
claims against Germany. Nor would
lnything be accomplished that way
in restoring order permanently and
rvoiding new crises, unless the Brit
ish and the American governments
agreed to assist France in making
Germany pay the reduced sum.
Meantime France. feeling herself
alone. and knowing that she has
now the power to seize the most
valuable German Industrial dis
tricts and pay herself out of them,
can no longer be held back by Brit
ish and American opinion. This is a
fact which derives additional
strength from the German policy.
which aims at isolating France and
using British and American selfish
interest to advance German ands.
1t may be that some way of de-
laying French action may. still be
found, although as I write there
seems small chance of it, But de-
lay can count for but little so long
as the basic conditions remain un-
changed. The fact is that in wag-
ing war Germany did France in
juries which can only be paid for in
part through long years. that Ger
many can only be made to pay at
all by the exercise of force by
France and that the exercise Of
force means the prolongation OF war
and the postponement of economic
stability all over Europe. indefinite
'y But any failure to exercise
force means for France economic
and hscal ruin now and political de-
struction a few years hence. when
Germany by virtue of escaping
reparat'ons payments, recovers
strength far more rapidly than the
nAighbor she has ruthlessly Grip
Piled.