Evening star., 1921-05-01

14111N lHS HcAl thiSC VI
An/ four days history moldins
" the future of tens of mil
lions of peoples and the
destinies Of old world nations will be
made.
The hours that are passing are por.
tentous
Germany will fall into the category
of servile nation, abandoning hope
of glories of a great. advancing coun-
try or she will slip through the
moose France has prepared for her by
agreement to meet practically all OF
the allied demands.
If Germany refuses to capftulate
France will become one of the strong
est nations of the world, politically
and economically, through tine grip
which she will obtain on her ancien,
enemy across the Rhine.
These are the cardinal facts that
stand foremost in any consideration
of the reparations question, which
today is holding the stage in inter-
national politics.
Two Conclusions Drawn.
In establishment of the fundamen-
tails. two conclusions safely may be
drawn.
Germany will endeavor to meet the
sums and stipulations that have been
agreed upon by allied nations. for
only in doing so can Germany live at
all. 1t must be a sporting chance for
Berlin. Germany may die if she does
not capltulate and take a chance upon
the future to meet expressed obliga-
tons, or she may die if she does. 1t is
believed certain that Germany will
take the chance TO live. onerous as
she may regard her burdens.
= l.. u
that France will not forego the chance
she has of placing the rich Ruhr mine
regions and Westphalian industrial
sections under French control for an
indefinite period on the claim that
Germany has not lived up to her in
ternational obligations in making just
amends for the hideouS scars created
in the war
Through occupation of the Ruhr
France will obtain fuel and industrial
plants to fashion, into goods the
world demands. the iron deposits of
AlSace and Lorraine. France can ad-
vance to unheard-of lengths through
the combined utilization of these once
German natural resources. PARIS
speaks of levies to be made on Ger
man coal and how through the years
France can. by struggling very hard,
obtain in measure just reparation,
Notwithstanding any action OF the
German government. AS a matter of
fact such ievies would be a bagatelle
compared with the advantages to be
gained through systematic and pains
taking French exploitation of Ger
man coal and ind.-.-ries lying within
the territories to be embraced in the
application of further penalties.
French Will strike.
As consequence. today or tomor-
row if Germany has not offered rep
arations deemed adequate in the
French mind, Marshal Foch and his
legions. if unforeseen events do not
occur. will move forward to accom-
plish the French purpose. 1t is ex-
ceedingly likely that the French Will
be undeterred by the promise of ade-
quate Germanic payments for the
they have no other excuse. seize upon
Germany's failure to pay ,OOo,ooO,ooo
in gold into the hands of the Bank
of France and Germany's failure TO
pay the s12,000,000 00.00c of the S2O.-
900 900 900 demanded by May /. un-
der the treaty of Versailles.
Even though dispatches have indi-
Gated that the counter German rep
arations proposals will be considered
by the supreme council in London
during the next day or so, ana even
though the supreme council in London
whole should hesitate about the ap-
plication of other penalties than
those already imposed. there is little
TO cause one to believe that Pre-
mier BRAND will hesitate to strike
out and. paraphrasing the French
viewpoint. render unto Caesar things
that ere Caesars. If BRAND hesi-
tates further. BRAND. as premier OF
France. soon will pass. Poincare or
some other extreme militarist will
step into power and France may even
90 further than the Ruhr. forever
hazarding comfy on the European
continent. Lloyd George knows this
and it is hut natural that he should
guardedly consent to the BRAND gos-
pel of action now in preference to
later action which might embarrass
the whole British continental policy
andspossibly bring in future years.
war approaching in character, if not
exceeding. the one which closed but
so few short months ago.
New Proposals Expected.
II is to be believed that when the
sunreme council gets into conference
even newer German proposals will
he nlaced on the table either directly
or through the instrumentality of
President Harding. even though the
latter should decide not to transmit
those of the past week. In these
Germany agreed to pay in forty-two
wears sum totaling 220.OOO,0O0 900
gold marks, considering the fact that
she would not count in that which
already has been turned over to the
allies Jnasmuch as Germany de-
manded that certain penalties be re-
moved and that Upper Silesia be