The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-22


must feel great responsibility
when rising to speak from this plat
form. from whence every word goes
to the anxious and attentive ear of
the world"
Must Regard Security
i shall endeavor to present the
situation with it's true genuine face"
he declared, Ito show that France is
more ready than any other country
to direct her steps in the paths for
higher peace. Nothing could be more
pleasant than to tell you this. We
bring here sacrifices, We have suf-
fered much in the war, we have
fought "A great battle, but we must
regard now our own permanent Sc
curity.
Let me explain for France that il
you want to make peace. it must be
made by two people, YOU and your
neighbor. l am speaking particular
ly of land ornaments, because there
is situation which you have no
right to neglect.
1T is necessary that besides physi-
cal disarmament, there should be a
general atmosphere of peaee-in
other words-moral disarmament. In
Europe today some conditions still
are prevalent and France is obli ged
to state them. Many of you here in
this country know France. Your
men came to us at the most critical
time of the war. They have seen
France and they know her; they have
seen Europe and they know 1t. Ger
tainly these men have come back TO
onlighten your country and they
have come back to help wipe away
some of the noxious gases which
have been spread by the common
enemy
America Cannot Understand
Here in this country" the pre-
mier continued, you have your states
and do not know the tangled barriers
of Europe, 1t must be difficult for
some of YOU to realize what condi-
lions are prevailing in Europe after
the war. / quite admit that a free
American citizen would say: The war
is won; peace Is signed. Germany
has reduced her army. Most or her
war material is destroyed. Why Is IT
that France keeps such consider
able armyT
Some people think that France
must have some hidden thought. 1t
has been said that France wanted to
esta blish In Europe a sort of military
supremacy. Probably this is the most
painful and cruel thing a Frenchman
could be told. To tell the world that
we have perfidious intentions and
military designs Is sad and most dis
heartening." =
mot one word of 1t n true" ex-
claimed NJ. BRAND, pounding the table
with both fists. "If there Is coun-
try that wants peace with all our
hearts, believing in it with her entire
faith, that country Is France.
Since the armistice, France has
had to walt for realization of certain
things. She has seen Germany haggle
over her pledged word and the terms
she had signed. She has seen Ger
many refuse to pay. The popular
opinion is that France is impatient.
but France has remained perfectly
calm"
No Hatred for Germany
Referring to the German position.
Premier BRAND continued:
we have no hatred in our hearts.
She (France) will use every means
between Germany and herself to pre-
vent bloody recurrence. But after
all We have no right to forget, we
have no right to weaken our position
and give rise to certain hopes by our
weakness.
II don't want to be unjust. but we
have there one part OF Germany tina
Is for peace, a part who have hal
enough of this war. who have had
enough OF war altogether, and who
want to settle down to the pursuits
of industry and peace. That Germany
we will do everything we can to help.
But there is another Germany"
the premier continued with forceful
gestures. There Is Germany that
has not changed her mind, and fol-
whom the last war was not de-
cislon. This Germany has kept the
same occupations, the same ambl-
lions. How can we close our eyet
to this. How can we ignore the con
ditlons. More than that we have wit
messed several attempts to return to
a certain state of things"
Cites Coup Attempts
Here Premier BRAND cited the
royal attempts al coups d'etat and
quoted from the book of General Lu-
dendorff, whose teachings, he said.
were followed by the elite, profess
sors and writer's" of part of Ger
many. NJ. BRAND said he desired to
make excerpts from Ludendorff a
part of his brief.
After a long quotation from Luden-
dorff, which referred to war as the
corner stone of all intelligent poll
cies, and a creation of God, the pre-
mier added:
These are the character of words
used by the highest authority, and
after the war has caused the death
of millions. That is the sort OF thing
that is being taught at thu very door
of France. How can you expect
France to close her eyes?'
On the material side. as contrasted
to the moral side, continued NJ. Bril-
and Germany has at her disposition
now many soldiers trained in the
great war. 1t would be possible TO
mobilize the German people tomor-
row, he asserted, through the newly
organized police" force, consisting
of officers and under officers of the
old army.
25O,0OO Germans Training
He estimated that at least 100000
Germans were receiving daily in
structions with all the machinery for
their mobilization at hand.
The present German prime min
lister. said NJ. BRAND, apparently was
doing everything to make effective
the Versailles treaty, but there were
many disquieting developments
threatening the stability Of the pres
ent German government. as was evil
denced by recent developments.
All the recent instructions given
by the minister of war have efer-
ence to this police force, NJ. BRAND
declared. and, in addition, he said,
Germany had various military groups
under various pretenses since the
war. An "ultimatum" was necessary
to dissolve one of these groups re-
Gently discovered, he added.
Within a few days in Silesia. the
premier said. force of 10000 men