Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-08-27
Return OF
i. Troops
Withdrawal of American
Forces in Germany Soon
After Ratification of
Treaty Is Expected.
Would Tighten Expense
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee I.eass4 Wire,
Washington, Aug. 26.--Early with
drawal OF American troops from the
Rhine, following ratification o. the
peace treaty with Germany, is fore
shadowed by authoritative informa-
tion forthcoming from the White
House. The Harding administration,
it is stated. does not believe in add
ing to the burdens of the Germans
by continuing the expense upon
Germany OF maintaining forces of
occupation any longer than is ncces-
sary.
1t was pointed out that nothing in
the treaty signed at Berlin yester-
day requires the withdrawal of the
American troops, which are occupy
ing German soil under the terms OF
the arnistice and one of the sections
of the Versailles treaty accepted by
the United States in the peace pact
with Germany. They can be main
tanned there, pending fulfllment of
the treaty obligations by Germany,
they can be withdrawn and they can
be sent back to Germany after hav-
ing been withdrawn.
Question of Policy.
This is purely question of policy
and the United States has full free
dom to act in this matter as it sees
fit. That this policy will be to with
draw the troops as soon as appears
feasible after the ratification of the
treaty, in order to tighten the burden
of expense borne by Germany, is in
dicated by the statement made at
the White House.
There are now 1926 American
troops, including officers, occupying
the Coblenz bridgehead, at an ex-
pense to Germany of about $l,000,-
900 month. For the maintenance
of these troops Germany now owes
the United States $244,00O,000
President Harding is greatly pleas
ed with the results of Secretary of
State Hughes negotiations with Ger
many. He views the achievement
not only as satisfactory settlembent
with Germany, but as the best posi-
BILE solution of the vexatious problem
produced by the rejection of Presi-
dent Wilson's peace program.
Achieves Purpose.
The treaty with Germany, it was
pointed out, achieves the purpose
enunciated in the Harding inaugural
to disentangle the United States
from participation in European af-
fairs of no concern to America. 1t
gives the United States the same
status in the war settlement as the
allies except as to the league of ma
tions and the political, boundary and
other matters of purely European
concern.
By making separate treaty with
Germany incorporating the provi-
sions of the Versailles treaty OF con-
Germ to the United States, the admin
istration has pleased all factions at
home and added to the fame of Mr..
as a harmonizer. To the
irreconcilible republicans it is a sep
arate treaty, referring only for con-
venience to portions Of the Versailles
treaty and being separate treaty. it
affords no shadow Of ground for i'm
putting obligations to the United
States to Join with the allies in en-
forcing German compliance to the
peace terms.
To the democrats and the reserva-
lion republicans it is separate treaty
only in name and is essentially the
Versailles treaty, with those portions
eliminated which would have been
eliminated by ratification OF that pact
with reservations.