The New York herald., 1921-01-09
,es Chronic Sickness Causedby Germany s Quibbles

1uScQDyN
territory, a new German domestic disturb
ance a civil war in Germany, any of these
things would postpone to an unknown date
the restoration of the German market and
would thus prolong the evil situation In the
British Isles.
Thus the Lloyd George Cabinet has been
under pressure all the time to exert its in
fluence to compel the French to permit the
economic restoration of Germany and to
oppose French policies in Russia and Ger
many both. The fact that Germany's course
menaces French security does not much
affect the average British laborine man, as
contrasted with the statesman, he does not
care about that. Nor does he recognize that
Britain obtained security by the destruction
OF the German navy, but France has yet to
obtain equal security. These are too In
volved considerations, matters which weigh
with statesmen but not with the general
public and matters which it is exceedingly
hard for statesmen to make clear to their
constituencies.
Necessity of Industrial Recovery
Shows Britain Half Hearted
AS consequence the George Ministry has
all along been in the difficult position of
striving to moderate French activities and
at the same time to preserve Anglo French
solidarity in the presence of domestic pro-
test prompted by an unsympathetic and
selfish view of French conditions. The diff
ficulty, so far from being abolished, remains
patent at the present moment. sIn point OF
fact the British Government has not the
smallest excuse for refusing to support the
French If they choose to act because OF
- 1Av1f
But. on the other hand, such French action
would certainly arouse British protest and
would probably postpone British industrial
recovery at home.
Such are the more obvious circumstances
in the present situation. But one has now
to reckon with the reactions of the opinions
in the three nations upon each other. Thus
the French are at the moment reused alike
by the recent expedition of German Min
listers into the occupied districts, which was
marked by outrageous speeches on their
part calculated to rouse the people Of these
regions against the French troops and pro-
mote dangerous resistances and by the belief
that German failures to comply with the
treaty of Versailles are due to the belief that
Great Britain will compel France to agree
to notifications Of these terms. Both of
these circumstances tend to make the French
more insistent upon action than they might
otherwise be.
The Germans on their side do frankly
expect to obtain from the British assistance
which will enable them to escape from the
worst of the Versailles provisions. Quite
stupidity, however. they fail to distinguish
between economic and military terms to
recognize that in the last analysis the British
must and will support the French on mill
tary issues, whatever stand they may take
upon industrial questions. This Is demon
strated by the present crisis, in which the
British course has so far been so correct as
to silence French criticism.
When all is said and done, however, the
present crisis is most important when viewed
in its relation to two great events which are
to be expected in the present year. namely
the fixing of the total amount Of German
reparatons and the holding of the plebiscite
to decide the permanent ALLEGATION of the
Upper Silesian district, which is disputed by
the Poles and the Germans. In both cases
the Germans are obviously maneuvring
with the hope that they can by using the
military question obtain concessions In the
econorIc field, for the Silesian question is
eccrImic quite as much as political and the
lo/ of the district will totally change Ger
many's rank as an Industrial nation.
But the question of reparations is even
more vital. France stands squarely on the
ground that the Treaty of Versailles was a
contract, signed as such by all nations rep
resented at Versailles and binding upon all
nations which have ratified it. To France 1t
represents the minimum of justice and the
lowest possible estimate of conditions essen
tial to the solvency and safety of France. In
the last two years France has spent 25.000,-
100000 francs in restoring the devastated
regions and this vast expenditure has by no
means completed or even half completed the
work. So far she has received not a single
franc from Germany, nor is there any i'm
mediate prospect Of any such payment as is
essential
When II comes to fixing the sum Of Ger
man reparations France means to insist
;:pon the naming of sum which will cover
her refrigeration, but this sum will mean a
total larger than British and even American