The Washington herald., 1921-04-17
GERMAN COAL SUPPLY CRUX OF PREPARATIONS lHAsg HAAssgg

would put her In precisely the un-
fortunate position which threatens
the British as q .det8il in their own
coal strike.
France Lacks Coai.
Now beyond the immediate indus
trial and political possibilities OF
French occupation of the Ruhr lie
other eventualities which are not
ed in Paris. France has, by
regaining her lost provinces on her
eastern boundaries, become the
greatest -iron-producing nation in
Europe. More than half Of the total
of European iron deposits Is now
within French frc ntiers. But France
lacks coal. Unless she can find some
way of meeting this coal shortage
she will ultimately have to barter
her iron against German or British
coal, but IL she could get sufficient
coal, she would become the greatest
steel-making nation of Europe.
Supposing that France should be
able to effect a permanent separa-
ton of the Rhine and Ruhr regions
from Germany, to erect them into
some form of separate state, bound
to France by economic ties rather
than by political chains, but having
a common tariff wall, then In no
long time France would replace
Germany in the Industrial world.
To cut of the. coal from the Ger
man market and open the French
market to II would at one time
smash Germany and lay the foun-
dations for an industrialized France.
prepare the way forsuch Q French
expansion as took place in Germany
between 1870 and 1914.
Could wreck Germany.
More than this. II France were
in control of German coal the de-
pendence of Bavaria, of Baden, OF
wurttembefg, Of the surviving frag-
ment of Austria, upon Prussian Ger
many would be abolished. The sepa-
ratist spirit in South Germany would
be stimulated, and, at no distant
time, a new South German con-
federacy, totally outside Of Prus-
sian control. might arise. And In
such a. wrecking OF the unifying
work of Bismarck, France would hnd
safety, which Is hardly to be founo
while there remains . united and
Prussianized Germany.
No one in Europe forgets that the
frst step in the unification OF Ger
many was the creation of common
tariff frontier. No present observer
can fail to note that the possession
by Prussia Of practically all OF
the coal deposits of the German
Reich, insures the subservience OF
South Germany to the Prussian
state. But II the coal areas are
taken the Saar assigned to France.
the Upper Silesian to Poland. and
the Ruhr passed to an international
control, which in reality would b
French: IL the Rhineland 10 sepa-
rated from Germany by customs
frontiers and united to France, not
by any annexation. but by tarin
agreements, q new situation 10 In
stantly created, and the old de-
pendence upon Prussia abolished.
Secret Of Policy.
Here, then. is the secret Of what
may be termed the new policy OF
France, the policy Of BRAND rather
than Foch, Of coal rather than can
non. France has laid aside the
ambitious but dangerous program
Of unlinrited military occupations
not only dreadfully expensive In
but calculated to dis
turb the sensibilities Of not = few
European nations and awker
charges Of Chauvinism and imper-
ialism, which no nation can AFFORD
to endure at the present moment
What is necessary IL . maximum
of result for . minimum Of effort
and France would need to call nc
new battalions to the coIors to lay
hands upon the Ruhr, to cut the
feed wires Of the German pow
system. to use a simple but not In,
simile-
Now what will Germany do? Here
one touches the unknown. It Is
pretty difficult to forecast German
policy, since German policy. in all
crises in recent years, has newt
ably chosen to do the thing most
fatal to German interests. 1t is
plain to see what Germany must
do to be saved now. Her salvation
lies in her own hands. There is
no nation in the world, now, which
has the slightest intention of in
tervening on her behalf. The vivi-
ami mission to Washington is fnal
demonstration of this truth. Wash
ington. like London, has no pur-
pose to play cats-paw for German
statesmen, who deny war guilt and
refuse peace responsibilities.
Wise French Policy.
I have pointed out before tha,
France was saved because France
at her moment Of terrible danger,
after the defeat of 1901, had
statesmen who saw the truth clear
ly. They perceived that not a na-
tion in Europe would raise a hand
to save France. That the condi.
tions of the treaty of Frankfor,
had to be fulfilled with meticulous
exactitude, IL France were to get
free from German clutches. What
was necessary was to deprive the
Germans of any excuse or pretext
complete the ruin Of France.
France, therefore, not only paid,
but anticipated payment. Not the
smallest suggestion could have
been raised by the most hostile
German that France was seeking
to evade the terrible sentence of
Frankfort. After France had paid,
when Germany. grown angry over
the Unexpectedly swift recovery of
her foe, undertook in 1875 to threat
en- a new invasion and a new war,
Europe intervened. Russia and
Great Britain bluntly intimated to
Bismarck that q new attack would
not leave them cold. But this was a
Of the appreciation that
France had performed her full task.
Mistakes Moderation.
Had Germany at any moment
since the armistice of Rethondes