Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-19
GERMAN DILEMMA
|SLA|D TO FRANCE
MAR Passions Demand Too
Much Reparation, Says
American Expert
PAPER READ AT FORUM

n is not f'ngIhud l''"' - ''o '5
A.. economic thumb screws upon ngon-
,,od Germany at the present time; 1t Is.
I hos bccn. France. still vcngcful
atb tbc nhcbbng passions of the war,
.nJ deaf to all cries of mercy and even
s"moiJ I Of sane realization of her own
ir,orcsts in the future. a., .-..
htr,ti htn,,is In the main. was the message
,,i,.nrcJ los, night at the weekly scs-
orll', - Tho Pt.RIiC LEDGER forum on
son hpoaco Conference in the foyer of the
tne ,Lonv of Music. The writer of the
.nor M" wG. Dr. Allyn \. Young. economic
pIrr;sor 10 the American CommiSsion'
w. young became suddenly III NeStcr-
D Ioy and could not hrNprcscnt, put ms
o"ncr o"g was read by Roland >. Morris.
p"",hassodor to japan. The substitute
"Scciycd most ilnttering ovntion anu
~, sriritcd and eloquent Interpretation
nS .Ln n INNER. cncrgizcd by a personality
oi o.. Wv rnrrird conviction with every
",orcr ..a, was one Of the bright spots Of
,ho series of meetings.
"Jnn Nounp- made il clear that prcsi-
,.nt Wilsotr and the American dele
oen, ., tn Paris achieved more in tho
taononic provisions of the treaty that
tos gcncrally been credited to them.
TIo,. wore forced to compromise on non
iasCrtia points, he admitted. but.
Z. oIdod IT do not want you to infer
,hot in respect of the teonomic clauses.
mo.o wos over any serious difference of
,nin;cn rs TO what American policy
"pobt imbt n bc. The President had made
uHot vc wcrc proud to call American
"r;ncirles luminOusly clear. In the
!p".naI p,'"I work of framing the treaty ther"
ros rarely amy doubt as to luSt what,
4, tbC light of these pr inciples. the
AMERICAN attitude should be.
off to themselves. with the irm,
rcrsistcnt. steadying pressur" from
fmerira withdrawn. the various con-
airting forces at Par could have pro
Snccd only a treaty that would nave ne
liyered the world over to mintarlSlh'
imperialism and ccoonomlc suicide.
Mcts,od by our Allies might have been
ssnod but would not have been ac-
sooteJ Either course would have meant
nrnIouped bitterness and misund"rstand-
Inc new disSrnsions in Europe. the
orsrturnng Of governments and clear
scM for mlitarism-Or worse.
French Attitude Bitter
"What then was the French attitude
4, paris At its best ii was the atti-
tndc Of tlrmcnrpauk kand of his ablcSt
Esntcnonts. France could not be cx-
nosed to the danger of another unpro :
rokcj attack like that OF oil. In some
voy. in whatever way. France had to
bc secured against that danger.
"N t> worst. the French attitud"
WAS that Of II few men who seemed 10
he loss Interested in tho ultimate effects
or thr economic provisions Of the treaty
than in lis immediate use as an inStru =
mcnr Of pa mful humiliation. They would
have filled the treaty full of little pois-
orpd darts that would hayc Stung and
,ankIcd, but could not have advanced
the interests Of France. and would very
certainly have tended to reduce the
| lrusurr Of her moral advantage over
| lrrmany Very few of these unfor =
mnatr rr"p"snlS got into the treaty.
GcIing rid of them took Il good deal oi
tire and effort on the part of both
Br and American delegates.
'OmIp! ing yet another poytion
were those Frrnrhmcn who could sec
safety in nothing short of her com =
plCto supremacy in Europe. Economic
supremacy was to be attained by re-
pressing the trade and industry Of tho
enemy suites by Sapping the roots oi
their ocon"nir life.
'N"v"r was thHr" purpose more
tragraIly blind. No nation can gather
strength from the weakness Nf other
nations or reap prosperity from their
diversity
Saving France From Suicide
"Ihr care Of French interests in III,
rconomi" sections of the treaty was
assigned to different ministries II
Paris. Their more important propo
saIS. tnEru HS n whole, seemed to cm =
body III" rXtr"m" and suicidal eco
homie policy | huv" just described.
'ENr"cinlll when they were coupled
with other French proposals il wa,
easy To read into them IL purpose tc
destroy tho foundations of the eco
homie IT" Of the central powers, anr
"i E"mnauy in particular. MiituriSu
amt "r"nomi" policy seemed to hay,
joined hands.
! Go mot pretend to n knowledge I"
u" lhWaril"Ns of French politics. bu
IRON ms distance il appears that th,
Cabhrt> thai have been set nm /,
rance sine" th" Peace Conference hay,
"'" i"I"MinS tn" same compusslcSi
course. The situation nS n Who'll, re-.
|
'"'IonN and the state of mind crcatcc
curing the war.
IHc new r"paruti0ns prnpoSal!
agreed upon with England Il few week,
"" are much more cXacting than ia,
,,rparali"u clauses Of the Treaty o
versailles. cannot explain them cN
Tp' in term, Of po'iticnl cxigrnr'cs il
france, with Lloyd George uSscntin:
!'r som" iusrrulablr rcusuns of hi,
tWn ~
hSrn with the best will in III,
TorId land that is not reasonably I,
" "Ap""r"dl Germany could not NEE
,ur payments demanded of her. Com
went French and British experts mus
N"'" That such is the case.
Rcparation win BE Small
her" has been mruSumblr geo
rro.'" progress in France since the war
"u' any substantial recovery mus
""3I! wait until the French propI,
, "" or'n told the whole truth abou
T P"H'l"n OF III" nations finances.
no "rari" measures that will b.
>"I\ 10 balance the budget unC
m%" Ih' currency to position whrr,
L Hud foreign trade will b. 0l
",, !'ud"hI" haSiS--und about the Dis
rd;,'i',ihSN small sum that can he ob
Gi"'" tio" from Germany by way Of rrparu
ro,,,"o M"oN Of the "ronomic clauses of III,
MGmn Ut" part Of II temporary Scur
m,n TI"S >"1 op TO hold things in pIac
,r"n,, more enduring structure can b
m,I, IT, il" treaty does not prnpoS g. I,
,onon. m" ,'' economic relations Of the En
wrrJ ''"'"> Tor alI times. II /, II for
VA, oE n"E'nE d"cumcn. II leaves III
,oon ","o Tor hrri"r adjustment Just II
rono a., n. III" political situation in Eu
iIp" """"' ,ho>" adjustments posi-
rlou"i,n"lShot his paper DR.. Young pai